Interchanging Idioms

Numerous orchestras in the US are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Why? There are a plethora of theories as to why orchestras are going bankrupt:     Classical Music is dying     CEO's and VP's are paid too much     Musicians are paid too much     Ticket Prices are too high     People aren't giving as much as they used to     The Economy I would like to tackle each of these theories with an eye towards solving the problem. Classical Music is dying If you look at the big names in the music download industry, Sony and Universal, they both show huge profits in classical music downloads. A large portion of their bottom line is made up of people paying for and downloading classical music. If classical music was actually dying, we wouldn't see a growth in classical music downloads. CEO's and VP's are paid too much While I'm all for more balanced wages a...

Friday, 5/11 10:45 am Saint-Saëns' "Organ" Symphony Leonard Slatkin, conductor Craig Rifel, organ There is no other symphony quite like it, a towering work built around the awe-inspiring sounds of the pipe organ. More than a century after its premiere, the "Organ Symphony" remains unrivaled in its scope and majesty. Leonard Slatkin leads the Detroit Symphony Orchestra while the DSO's multi-talented Craig Rifel, normally seen and heard in the double bass section, performs as organ soloist. This concert also features the premiere of a new work by Du Yun, winner of the DSO's 4th Elaine Lebenbom Annual Memorial Award for composers. Join our backstage pre-concert and intermission shows, featuring interviews with composer Du Yun, arranger/composer Rob Mathes, Whole Foods Detroit Community Liaison Amanda Musilli, and more! Program Information Leonard Slatkin, conductor Craig Rifel, organ DU YUN ...

www.dso.org/live Program Information Leonard Slatkin, conductor Emanuel Ax, piano MOZART Piano Concerto No. 22 MAHLER Symphony No. 5

The news that Detroit Symphony Orchestra President Anne Parsons has renewed her contract for the next three years has evoked mixed reactions. While she apparently has the confidence of the board and of key funders, the musicians, on the heels of a six-month strike, are not all pleased. Many blame her for the orchestra's poor financial state and see her as the cause of having their pay reduced by 23 percent and their contract shorted from 52 weeks to 40. Orchestra committee chair bassist Linton Bodwin tells the Detroit Free Press that the news is "disappointing and puzzling. "What has happened over the last five years, including the strike, would indicate the need to have a change at the top of the orchestra for no other reason than a clean start." Parsons, 53, started at the DSO in 2004. The orchestra is carrying a $54-million debt on its refurbished home and has lost six members since the strike, including the concertmaster.

Since the end of the epic six-month musicians strike in April, Detroit Symphony Orchestra officials have been sprinting -- rebooting spring concerts, dropping ticket prices for the future by up to 50%, rebuilding next season and hashing out ambitious programs designed to broaden the orchestra's reach. Much of the immediate future remains under construction, but one major edifice is being announced today: the 2011-12 classical and pops seasons at Orchestra Hall. This will be music director Leonard Slatkin's fourth season, and what's most interesting -- and rewarding -- is how consistently classical programming tracks with Slatkin's previous agenda: Roughly 20% of the works are contemporary, nearly all of them by living composers working in America, from elder statesmen like William Bolcom and David Del Tredici to up-and-comers like Mason Bates. Nearly a third of the season represents DSO premieres. The post-strike DSO is reinventing big chunks of its operation to bett...

New Program Hosted by the Leading American Choral Conductor Debuts Sunday, December 19 The choral music community in New York is active, engaged and passionate. The chorus, whether professional, amateur, academic or religious institution-based, offers hands-on, participatory music making at countless levels of entry. On Sunday, December 19 at 7am, WQXR launches a new program devoted to this vibrant genre – THE CHORAL MIX WITH KENT TRITLE – hosted by the conductor The New York Times has hailed as “the brightest star in New York ’s choral music world.” Each week, Maestro Tritle will explore a different aspect of the choral scene in New York and beyond. Through a smart and lively mix of exclusive live concert recordings and commercial recordings, THE CHORAL MIX will provide a significant locus for choral music and its community . THE CHORAL MIX will air every Sunday at 7am, with an encore broadcast at 11pm, on 105.9 FM WQXR. It will also be available as a live webstream at www.wqx...

This promises to be a groundbreaking season for Venezuelan-American pianist Gabriela Montero , as she continues to impress, delight and make new fans in performances with major orchestras and in chamber and solo recitals. Already an artist in demand, Montero spends her 2009-10 season exploring some of the keyboard’s most celebrated repertoire while taking audiences on a uniquely stimulating journey with her trademark improvisations. Her season kicks off with the opening-night gala concert of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra; in other highlights she makes two important debuts with American orchestras, and performs a series of recitals around North America including a stop in Georgia at the widely eclectic and celebrated Savannah Music Festival. Montero begins her season opening the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s, in a gala concert led by conductor Raymond Leppard. On this program of American music, Montero will play George Gershwin’s beloved Rhapsody In Blue . When she perfo...