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Classical Music is Supreme Today at the Nation's Highest Court

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

This is a big week for classical music at the Supreme Court. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg provided Alex Ross at The New Yorker with a list of her favorite records. Not only does Justice Ginsburg have impeccable taste in opera — from Placido Domingo's classic Otello to the Nathan Gunn/Ian Bostridge Billy Budd — but her son, James Ginsburg, has become an important force in promoting Chicago-area musicians via his record label, Cedille...

To top it off, Justice Ginsburg — who has made cameo appearances in Ariadne auf Naxos and Die Fledermaus at the Washington National Opera — hosted last year's NEA Opera Awards.

Is audience development for the arts the answer?

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

To me, audience development is not just a method or technique of arts management, but an entire philosophy about how to run a business today. In an age where crowdsourcing and social media are popular, the days of us dictating art are no longer valid. Our business models of producing, marketing and fundraising without thoughts of our audiences are unraveling. It is not wise to fall back on old business practices, and instead, it is better to be creative, engaging and involving with the people around us.

Where Opera Costumes Go to Die...

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Artist E.V. Day’s incredible work appears in all the prestigious arts venue, the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Museum of Art, the New York Library…. and most recently Southern Methodist University Meadow School of the Arts. The Texas-based University is hosting Carmen, Merry Widow and Hats, part of the fourteen suspended sculptures, which encompass Divas Ascending.The sculptures are fabricated from retired costumes from the New York Opera’s archives, a collection comprised from prominent international opera houses. Dresses from Carmen and The Merry Widow originate from the Metropolitan Opera and and New York City Opera, respectively. Hats is made up of pieces from numerous houses.

Signs of Engagement

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

While I’m on a roll with posts dissecting the meaning and nature of engagement (Engagement Is, Audience Development “vs.” Community Engagement, Audience Engagement-Community Engagement), I’ve got some more issues to raise (or repeat). I have made much of the fact that substantive community engagement (as opposed to audience engagement) is extremely rare among established arts organizations. In an effort to stave off arguments about that, here are two questions to ask of any organization that considers itself to be practicing community engagement...

The trailer has arrived for HBO's "Renée Fleming: A YoungArts MasterClass"

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Last week, I brought you the news that RENÉE FLEMING: A YoungArts MasterClass, is set to air on HBO on May 28, 2012 at 6:00pm. Inspired by the hugely successful first season of the HBO MasterClass series, this Special Presentation will inaugurate the second year of the acclaimed Emmy-nominated program.

Coughy Talk

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The problem of audiences coughing during musical performances is nothing to sneeze at. In a flurry of end-of-season performances in three of New York’s major halls, I had the chance to experience a range of expectoration far beyond anything I would have anticipated or desired. I have come to the conclusion that some people in certain settings will cough for reasons that have nothing to do with what some doctors refer to as "frictional stress of the airways."

Audra McDonald: Shaping 'Bess' On Broadway

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Audra McDonald has starred in stage classics and on TV, where she played a leading role on the ABC drama Private Practice for four seasons. But the actress might be better known for her stunning voice and for her performances in the Broadway productions of Carousel, Master Class and Ragtime, which helped her rack up three Tony Awards before the age of 30. She won a fourth Tony for her performance in A Raisin in the Sun, putting her in the company of Broadway greats Gwen Verdon and Mary Martin.

Kid Rock, DSO concert raises $1 million, but also profile of orchestra with new audience

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Now that my ears have finally stopped ringing after Saturday night’s explosive collaboration of Kid Rock and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the Fox Theatre, I want to put an exclamation point on a truly extraordinary night for the orchestra. The concert sold out the 5,000-seat theater and raised $1 million for the cash-strapped DSO. But the money only begins to get at why Saturday was a landmark for the symphony and why, in the wake of last year’s divisive musician strike, last week served as a microcosm of how the orchestra is rebuilding and rebranding itself.

Lyric Opera draws on fiscal reserves to break even for year

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Compared with just about every other company in the business, Lyric Opera of Chicago continues to ride above the economic turbulence that is buffeting so many of the nation's other not-for-profit performing arts organizations. Not soaring, but riding. The overall news coming out of the company's annual meeting Monday night was positive. The company exceeded its fundraising goal for fiscal 2012 and also scored impressive gains in ticket revenue, contributions and ticket sales that spoke to opera's central importance in the classical music life of the area — weak economy or not.

The New Opera Audience

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Many leaders in the opera field, including myself, are regularly asked the question, "How can we develop the 'new' opera audience?" The questioner usually takes the view that the opera audience is too narrow, and aging out, and that the next generation is lagging in their commitment and interest. Implicit in his or her question is that this is a new phenomenon that current leaders in the field may not be addressing adequately. Consider, though, the following true stories: