“Wherever you look this year, Herbert von Karajan is back on top of the classical agenda and a whole industry is working all hours to keep him there.” Norman Lebrecht wonders why that is, when the celebrated conductor “never made an original note of music, bequeathed a transmissible idea or represented any appreciable human value.”
Tag: 01.31.08
Orchestra Gaining Popularity In Portland
“The Oregon Symphony will end the current season with a year-to-year increase in ticket revenue for the first time since 2002, ending five years of declining sales. Sales [have] increased $461,000 over the same time last season. Attendance is up this season, too, with average attendance so far at 1,662, a 20 percent increase over last season.”
St. Louis Still Battling Big Deficits
The St. Louis Symphony has reported a $3.4m deficit and a severe drop in the number of tickets sold for classical concerts for 2007. The orchestra’s new president is stressing that stemming the tide of red ink won’t be a quick and easy endeavor.
Quick Exit In Birmingham
The executive director of the Alabama Symphony has resigned after only six months on the job, citing “family needs back home [in Chicago] that require my attention.” The orchestra plans to expedite the search for a new administrative leader.