CSI
THE VISIONARY ORCHESTRAL ENTERPRISE
PRELUDE
Modern symphony orchestras are faced by many challenges, some of which include the following:
- The "Curatorial Paradigm"
- The Graying Audience/Engaging Young Audiences
- Sustainability vs. Growth
- Management vs. Musician Dichotomy
- Analog vs. Digital Performance Platforms
- Educating vs. Appeasing the Audience
- Overpriced Feature Talent
- Nonprofit vs. For-profit Business Models
- Competing Forms of Entertainment
- Old School vs. New School Marketing & Promotion
Among these, perhaps the most significant is what I call the "Curatorial Paradigm."
The Curatorial Paradigm focuses on the traditional model and function of the orchestra as curator for Western European art music. The Curatorial Paradigm assumes certain substantive business and organizational parameters, including a nonprofit entity, a legacy analog performance platform, and an inherited culture that drives the operational infrastructure and potential growth & development of the organization. The Curatorial Paradigm also contests access to business and revenue-related solutions available to for-profit music or media-based enterprises.
The Curatorial Paradigm also proffers issues like those articulated recently by the Mellon Foundation: Declining leadership, dissatisfied & disenfranchised musicians, changing community expectations, and static repertoire & programming. Moreover, economists rebuff the model, offering analyses like a “cost disease” theory linked to stagnant, “handicraft” services (Baumol), or government fiscal theories of “structural deficit.”
How, then, does management, within the context of the Curatorial Paradigm, resolve the inherent issue of a graying audience? Or advance fiscal integrity within a traditional 501(c)(3) business shell, a conservative Board, or a paucity of business-trained staff in arts organizations? For some, embracing a risk-averse model of sustainability has provided a comfortable, yet potentially unreliable short-term solution.
THE VISIONARY ORCHESTRAL ENTERPRISE
A unique, comprehensive strategy is needed to resolve the challenges presented by the deep-rooted Curatorial Paradigm. This strategy is aimed at establishing what I call the Visionary Orchestral Enterprise.
A strategy to create the Visionary Orchestral Enterprise would comprise an initial comprehensive review and restatement of core organizational and artistic purpose and vision, comprehended within the context of the dynamic values associated with contemporary markets and financing. In addition, a successful strategy to develop the Visionary Orchestral Enterprise would be designed to stimulate progress, while preserving core ideology. The strategy should define tangible mechanisms for such alignment, including risk analysis, enterprise management and development, ongoing R&D and training, and best practices to assure and measure alignment and success.
This strategy would also seek to move the Curatorial Paradigm off its axis, and may differ significantly from legacy organizational modeling. Designed to create forward motion and engender long- and short-term growth, it would also define and sustain best practices for emerging generations of market share.
A comprehensive strategy to develop the Visionary Orchestral Enterprise would also seek to articulate and resolve existing shortcomings within the Curatorial Paradigm, including problems with mission or vision, political stratification, policy & practice related to audience education and interaction, disenfranchised repertoire, new technologies, enterprise development and governance, and best practices.
In sum, in developing the Visionary Orchestral Enterprise, one must resolve the challenges presented by the legacy Curatorial Paradigm, redefine the organization's core ideology, values & purpose, provide tangible practices to preserve the core and drive progress, and provide appropriate methodologies to assure and measure organizational alignment that supports core ideology and achieves desired progress.
Copyright © by Robert G. Gurrola. All rights reserved.