The recent Cleveland Orchestra strike has produced a flurry of commentaries about the financial woes of American orchestras and the impact of declining urban centers on declining audiences. A longer view and a larger picture will be pursued at the forthcoming "Orchestral Summit" at the University of Michigan. I remember when the annual conference of the American Symphony … [Read more...] about Looking Beyond the Cleveland Strike
Dvorak Teacher-Training
As anyone who is a parent or teacher keenly appreciates, the cultural vocabulary people of my generation (b. 1948) once took for granted is fast disappearing. High school students and college freshmen can no longer be expected to know Marlene Dietrich, or Rodgers & Hammerstein, or Porgy and Bess. Such knowledge was once instilled at home, or via Life Magazine or the Ed Sullivan … [Read more...] about Dvorak Teacher-Training
Introductory
When a few years ago Doug McLennan invited me to write an ArtsJournal blog, I thought about it and said no. Having been born as long ago as 1948, I remain somewhat a stranger to the internet. And, as I am always writing a book (a form of therapy) when I am not producing concerts, I felt I didn't have the time. Two considerations changed my mind. These days, writing books seems … [Read more...] about Introductory
The Unanswered Question
When a few years ago Doug McLennan invited me to write an ArtsJournal blog, I thought about it and said no. Having been born as long ago as 1948, I remain somewhat a stranger to the internet. And, as I am always writing a book (a form of therapy) when I am not producing concerts, I felt I didn't have the time. … [Read more...] about The Unanswered Question
Joseph Horowitz
I pursue parallel careers as a scholar/writer and concert/producer. As Executive Director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic in the 1990s, I was a pioneering creator of humanities-infused public programming ("Dvorak and America," "The Russian Stravinsky," "American Transcendentalists," etc.). As curator of the Pacific Symphony's annual American Composers Festival, I've designed … [Read more...] about Joseph Horowitz