How Programming Can Create a Distinctive Orchestra
There is an assumption by some, which others are trying to combat, that orchestras are static museums of the symphonic repertoire.
Orchestras are justly proud of their tradition. That tradition has produced a centuries-old canon with an incredible range of music to draw from, and it has also produced a legacy of musicianship and performance practice upon which new generations of musicians can build. But as organizers of the SHIFT Festival of American Orchestras explained, it’s important to celebrate the canon and that tradition. However, it’s just as important that orchestras self-examine and ask what is their unique musical point of view if they are to remain vibrant institutions within their communities.
“It’s about being responsive to who your audiences are instead of just saying, ‘This is what we have; take it or leave it,’” Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter said. “Because eventually, someone might leave it.”
Washington Performing Arts President Jenny Bilfield explained that many orchestras across the country have responded with a defined identity in the work they do. That approach, she says, brings a distinct authorial voice to the artistic side of the operation, but it serve the financial interests of that orchestra by offering their community something that better speaks to them.
“Organizations really need to search deeply to express their identity through their programming and the way they connect to audiences,” Bilfield said. “There is great work being done around the country, not only in the obvious music centers.”
The SHIFT Festival was created by Washington Performing Arts and the Kennedy Center as a showcase of best practices across the orchestral world. In its first year, the festival invited the Boulder Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony and the Brooklyn-based chamber orchestra The Knights. Each ensemble, who represent a range of sizes and geographies, were selected for programming and work that demonstrated a distinct authorial voice.
“We are not seeking to be the Chicago Symphony or the Cleveland Orchestra or the Berlin Philharmonic, we are seeking to be the orchestra of our community,” said North Carolina Symphony President Sandi Macdonald speaking during a panel discussion at the SHIFT Festival.
The North Carolina Symphony is based in Raleigh but performs across the state as part of its regular concert season. In evaluating what made North Carolina distinctive musically, Macdonald explained that they chose to feature the many prominent composers working today who have ties to the state, including the likes of Sarah Kirkland-Snider, Mason Bates, Caroline Shaw and Robert Ward.
“We want to provide music that is unique to our area, to our orchestra because you can get a great Beethoven symphony performed by the Berlin Philharmonic. They do that very well. But what we do very well is produce concerts that are meaningful to North Carolinians,” Macdonald said.
Kevin Shuck, Executive Director of the Boulder Philharmonic, said his organization went through a similar self-evaluation and planning process. In the case of Boulder, Shuck said they wanted to draw on the city’s incredible surrounding nature and build partnerships with other organizations in the community. The result including programs like guided musical hikes on nature trails as well as on-stage concerts that paired the work of a Colorado composer with that of a Colorado outdoor photographer.
In the past few years, Boulder Philharmonic has partnered with 45 such organizations. Shuck said some might be performing arts groups, which are traditional partners for orchestras, but others include Colorado social service organizations or museums.
“When you do this kind of work, you increase the number of shareholders,” Shuck said. “Every time you [partner with an outside group], you might get the ticket price for one concert [of someone who follows that organization]. And a certain portion might come back. But even for the people who didn’t come to the concert, they now have a touch point for your organization and think “[the Boulder Philharmonic] supports something I care about. And I think that community good will can’t be underestimated. It’s a snowball effect.”
In terms of traditional ticket sales as well as community goodwill (which often fuels fundraising), both Shuck and Macdonald said they had seen the financial rewards to this approach. Often in the orchestral world there are fears that the goals of marketing and the goals of artistic excellence won’t don’t always align. But for both orchestra executives, they felt that they showed gains financially and in terms of giving their ensembles a more defined artistic voice. However, Shuck said that reaping those benefits require patience and persistence.
“It’s about committing to this kind of approach systematically and over the long haul,” he said.
