I am still processing an avalanche of responses to my New York Times piece on the state of American classical music 250 years in. I’m particularly grateful to readers who wrote to remember the Brooklyn Philharmonic festivals during my 1990s tenure as the orchestra’s Executive Director. That experiment was the subject of the Postlude to my essay collection The Post-Classical … [Read more...] about American Classical Music at 250 – Take Two: The BAM Experiment
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At 250, Has America Delivered on its Classical Music Promise?
The New York Times invited me to attempt a succinct assessment of classical music in the US, from its beginnings to today. My response runs in today's paper: Last fall, I found myself in a South Dakota hotel lobby talking with the composer Derek Bermel. Days before, I learned that his clarinet teacher had played in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. I asked whether he knew … [Read more...] about At 250, Has America Delivered on its Classical Music Promise?
What Might the Kennedy Center Best Become — Take Two
I’ve received three memorable responses to my recent blog – also posted on Arts Fuse -- pondering whether the Kennedy Center might become, or might have become, a genuine “national cultural center.” The first, from a prominent arts administrator in mid-America, simply reads: “It all comes down to leadership.” The second, from Douglas McLennan of ArtsJournal, concludes: … [Read more...] about What Might the Kennedy Center Best Become — Take Two
The World’s Greatest Orchestra — Its Significance Then and Now
The decline in orchestral performance continues apace. A specimen: The main theme of the sublime pas de deux from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker is a descending G major scale introduced by the cellos, then repeated in response by the first violins. I recently heard a performance by an American orchestra whose principal cellist is venerable. His section took ownership of … [Read more...] about The World’s Greatest Orchestra — Its Significance Then and Now
The Boston Symphony’s Castigated Blueprint Makes Sense
Today’s online “Arts Fuse” carries a piece of mine commenting yet again on the Boston Symphony firestorm, which pits enraged musicians against the management and board – and turns Andris Nelsons, the outgoing music director, in a martyr. Excerpts follow. The read the whole thing, click here. A 14-page “State of the Boston Symphony Orchestra” manifesto, dated April 17, 2026 … [Read more...] about The Boston Symphony’s Castigated Blueprint Makes Sense