Ren\u00e9e Fleming<\/a> early in their careers.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n…but even I, who work in the industry, still don’t know how these competitions really help careers, or who’s really paying attention in the industry or outside it. This has nothing to do with the review, but with how we construct, produce and promote classical competitions. <\/p>\n
It’s funny, isn’t it, that classical musicians are so often compared to athletes in their discipline, their Whomever-given talent and physical attributes, and their commitment to a singular pursuit, often from young ages. But somehow classical music skipped the one thing that brings public interest to all those other things: the competition. Are musicians just not competitive? We know they are. Are we in administration positions–those who would organize such an event–just not competitive? Possibly. Many people working in arts administration are, after all, failed (i.e. not competitive enough?) musicians. But clearly our industry is filled with competition: prodigies snatching up Julliard spots, orchestra musicians moving up and down seats, judges determining various degrees of…”skill” and “artistry”(?), soloists vying for various orchestral tours and prestigious dates, managers poaching musicians from other agencies, presenters demanding exclusivity…the list goes on and on. Somehow, though, this competition is neither public nor positive enough to attract more mainstream attention. Does anyone really know the difference between a first and second chair violinist in an orchestra? I certainly don’t, and this is my job. Would an orchestra ever make that internal competition public through local press or webisodes? Absolutely not, but why not? <\/p>\n
I watched the Super Bowl at home in Connecticut this weekend with my dad, sister, aunt and grandmother. At one point during the game, my aunt, who lives in Columbus, Ohio, asked if I ever went to Ohio to see my artists. “Not really,” I said. “Is that because Ohio doesn’t have good enough arts?” she asked. “Not at all, actually: The Cleveland Orchestra is probably the best orchestra in the country.” Her face lit up, “Really? <\/i>The best in the country? <\/i>I’ll have to go see them!” She’s lived in Ohio my entire life and never had any desire to see the Cleveland Orchestra before learning that they might be The Best. She didn’t even ask what “the best” meant in this case! The superlative itself was good enough reason to drive two hours to see them. Similarly, friends are constantly asking me if Hilary is “the best violinist in the world,” and I always brush it off with something ridiculous like, “Well, she’s very good…” But that’s what the Olympics etc. tell us (insert joke about The World<\/i> Series being an exclusively North American event __here__), and that’s what we want to know. Who can run the fastest? Who can jump the farthest? It’s quite silly, actually, but it’s what we crave. <\/p>\n
Is there’s some way to garner the same excitement that sports have in
\nwhat is essentially a wholesome battle of skill without losing the
\ninherent nuance of the performing arts? If so, what would it look like? Is there a mainstream awareness benefit to being able to say every year that this is the Best Orchestra in the World, the Best Violinist in the World, the Best Pianist in the World, (the Best Classical Music Publicist in the World?…just kidding), or would that be considered (yet) another attempt to market for the sake of marketing, with no true value attached?
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