Interchanging Idioms

Horn players required for world premiere of a new work from Pulitzer Prize/Grammy Award-Winning ‘eco-composer’ John Luther Adams At East Neuk Festival on 5 July 2015 The East Neuk Festival (ENF) is sounding the bugle far and wide for a herd (?) of horn players looking for outdoor musical adventures and challenges in rural Fife this summer. Following its hugely successful 2013 UK premiere of John Luther Adams’ Inuksuit for 30 percussionists, ENF has commissioned Across the Distance for massed horns for the finale of this year’s Festival. Led by SCO’s highly acclaimed young principal horn, Alec Frank-Gemill, and seven other top professional horn players from around the UK, the performance line-up is 32. Across The Distance will be performed for a promenade audience in and around the parkland and gardens of the glorious Cambo House and estate situated just south of St Andrews in the East Neuk of Fife. ENF director Svend Brown enthuses about the prospect of this unique p...

There is more to orchestras balancing their books than just selling more tickets It is hardly news anymore to hear of an orchestra struggling to balance their budget. Atlanta musicians are locked out for the 2nd time in two years over contract negotiations - the musicians have been asked to take yet another pay cut. The Philadelphia Orchestra declared bankruptcy a couple of years ago. Colorado Symphony has been operating with a deficit for years. These are not isolated examples. When ever the news reports the demise of an orchestra, there are a half dozen articles that pop up to discussing what changes need to be made in order for orchestras to be profitable again: - raise ticket prices to cover costs - lower ticket prices to get more people into the concert hall - program new music - program old music - attract a younger audience - better leverage the existing audience (particularly the donor base) The list goes on and on, yet the real problem is: based on the  typ...

A new technology pilot program offering up to 500 lawn patrons exclusive digital media content while listening to an All-Dvořák program led by BSO Music Director Designate Andris Nelsons On July 11, during an all-Dvořák BSO concert under the direction of BSO Music Director Designate  Andris Nelsons , the Boston Symphony Orchestra will introduce the first-ever  Tanglewood Lawncast , a unique, technology-enhanced lawn experience, offering participating patrons access to exclusive digital media content—program notes, performer interviews, and additional camera feeds—via their smartphones and tablets. The Tanglewood Lawncast pilot program will take place on a specifically designated area of the lawn outside of the Koussevitzky Music Shed, with space to accommodate up to 500 patrons with lawn tickets. Patrons interested in participating in the program can register at  www.tanglewood.org/lawncast , with availability determined on a first-come, first-served basis. July ...

Symphonies are becoming increasingly aware that the average age of their patrons and ticket buyers are aging, with no real increase in getting a younger generation of symphony goers to replace them. Why??? It comes down to how we communicate with this younger generation. If your concert hall does not have people under the age of 35, it is because of the culture you have established. They do not feel comfortable in your hall and until they do, they have no desire to attend your concerts.  This is, of course, a generalization, but overall, people under the age of 35 have a few things in common that we need to be aware of in order to effectively market to them. There are roughly 79 million Millennials in the United States—25 percent of the population. The Millennials exceed the number of Baby Boomers (often their parents) by about 3 million. They have been through two recessions: one at the beginning of the millennium, another in the great recession caused by the mortgage c...

Lou Spisto is at it again, calling for well rounded students Reblog from: Dallas Daily News Louis Spisto Encourages Well-Rounded Education for Today’s Students According to arts advocates like Louis Spisto, keeping arts education in schools is essential to the development of today’s students. Throughout his long career as a producer and arts executive, Spisto has led the development of community and education-based performing arts and theater programs designed to spread appreciation of the arts amongst youth. Unfortunately, in the era of school budget cuts, arts education is almost always one of the primary targets. Schools nationwide are trimming arts programs, and students are no longer learning to appreciate music, visual and performing arts. This is worrying to Louis Spisto and many others in the art community. “The argument for arts education is robust for so many reasons, regardless of how strict budgetary limitations become,” says Lou Spisto. According to a report ...

repost from: advisories.com While great performers and performances will always be central to why people attend live arts events, experts like Lou Spisto (with nearly three decades of experience in the arts world) believe that social media is becoming an important player for audience engagement and possible growth in overall attendance. Social media’s influence seems to be everywhere and the 2014 Academy Awards may be the boldest example of this to date. Ellen DeGeneres, the host of the show and already a top figure on Twitter, broke new ground with the “impromptu” tweet of her “selfie” that included some of the world’s most well-known celebrities. It generated more than 3 million retweets. She easily surpassed the previous record holder, President Obama, who had under a million. Although this may be an extreme example of the power of social media and a “live” event, does it auger well for the performing arts? Can social media make the opera, ballet symphony orchestra or theater ...

March 22, 2014 | Ellie Caulkins Opera House Lobby Denver, CO — (February 17, 2014)  In collaboration with and sponsored by Arts & Venues Denver, Opera Colorado presents  Family Day at the Opera  on March 22 at  10:00 a.m.  in the lobby of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. This free family performance will feature an abridged production of  The   Barber of Seville  sung in English. Performed by Opera Colorado’s 2014 Young Artists,  Family Day at the Opera  features the professional production of  The Barber of Seville  that Opera Colorado takes directly into schools and community venues across the state of Colorado. Kevin Taylor at the Opera House will offer family-friendly refreshments and snacks available for purchase in the lobby of the Opera House.  Family Day at the Opera  includes a short Q&A session after the 50 minute performance, along with hands-on crafts and entertainment. Don’t miss this oppor...