CURRENTS
The Power of Programming
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eing asked to address the subject of programming is a daunting proposition. There are many ways to approach the subject, from the immensely practical to the completely theoretical. While each program must stand on its own, programs become a season that defines the life of a conductor and an orchestra, and binds the audience to them. Over time programming defines an orchestra’s sound, profile, and musical identity. For over 30 years I have had the privilege to understand this firsthand in my role at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I have learned about making programs from many remarkable artists. Supporting the artistic vision of Music Director Riccardo Muti, and working alongside Principal Guest Conductor Laureate Pierre Boulez, highlights how important it is for the entire institution to understand and embrace the dynamism of the repertoire that an orchestra performs. Finding the right balance and advocating for the artistic vision as demonstrated through programming is critical, never more so than in moments of intense financial pressures. The subject of programming lies at the tension point of culture and commerce. It is a point in orchestra life where there can be great excitement and also great conflict. The tension is revealed in the questions we ask as we evaluate a season’s programs. Do
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we create programs made up of familiar and unfamiliar music? Is the goal to achieve the highest ticket sales? Do we program what we believe people want to hear? Or do we program what we believe in, while challenging listeners to embrace new ideas? Is it possible to achieve all of these goals in the span of a season? What is the right balance? The answers to these questions may be very different depending on where you live and who your audience is. Programming is the heart and core of why orchestras and performing arts institutions exist, and the art of making programs must be treated with the greatest care in order to ensure the future of the art form. This applies for orchestras no matter what size your annual budget is. In addition to helping to develop programs for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with more than 150 concerts a season, I have also advised and assisted orchestras with seasons of 10 programs or less that combine classical and popular programs. The same overarching principles apply to small, medium, and large orchestras: programming defines who you are and is the nexus where the music director, orchestra musicians, audience members, board members, and staff meet. Many articles have been written about the history of programming—how concerts used to be shorter, longer, more casual, etc. What matters is the future—where
Todd Rosenberg
With so much attention on today’s economic challenges, it’s easy to forget that programming—deciding what music is actually played—is at the heart of what orchestras do. Here, Martha Gilmer, vice president for artistic planning and audience development at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and advisor to a number of smaller orchestras, looks at how to program for a changing cultural landscape.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Music Director Riccardo Muti with CSO Vice President for Artistic Planning and Audience Development Martha Gilmer, at Vienna’s Musikverein during the final day of the CSO’s 2011 tour there
we go in a world that has more distractions than ever before. Today, music, like many other things, can be “consumed” in a “what you want, when you want it” world, in the comfort of home with great sonic representation and a modest investment. In this world where music is reduced and referred to as “product,” we must make greater efforts to restore its vibrancy, its ability to be transformative, and the power of live performance. Toward a Shared Vision
Talk to anyone connected in any way with an orchestra, and they have a distinct point of view about programming. From orchestra musicians to board members, marketing department staff members to music critics, subscribers and non-subscribers—everyone has ideas about what makes a good program. What many of those who hold opinions have in common is this: they hold their opinions strongly. To many individuals, for example, orchestras represent a sacred art form that, in the chaos of the modern world, is a place where one can feel comfortable. symphony
WINTER 2013