The Detroit Symphony, which has just emerged from a 34-day musician’s strike, is in such economic straits that it may have to disband.
-Time Magazine, June 13, 1969
Detroit Symphony Cancels Season as Musicians Strike
The management of the debt-burdened Detroit Symphony Orchestra canceled the rest of its season on Saturday, after executives and the players failed to resolve a strike that has lasted four and a half months.
-The New York Times, Feb. 19, 2011
These two headlines come from an interesting blog post I came across tonight. It discusses the rise-and-fall-and-rise-again cycle of classical music and what can be done to create sustainable orchestras. The poster mentions the Louisiana Philharmonic, which was born from the ashes of the New Orleans Symphony. The Louisiana Phil is the country's first musician-owned-and-operated orchestra. In order to survive, the orchestra members make an average of only $23,000 a year.
I highly recommend reading this article. Even if you don't read the whole thing, just take this final sentence from it and think about it:
"Solving the economic problem of classical music is not easy. If it were, someone would have figured it out already. Perhaps fresh thinking is required."
As a classical musician seeking work, I can easily say that I wouldn't have a problem with lower salaries, as long as it meant more jobs. Certainly I'm in a different position than those who have held position in major orchestras, but I know several talented musicians looking "break into the scene" who would jump at the opportunity to earn even a modest salary so they can focus on what they truly care about: making music with gifted musicians. There is a group in Arizona called the Sustainable Symphony (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Sustainable-Symphony/144326284564) that is completely volunteer-based. Certainly that is an extreme solution, and not one that I would necessarily support, but it solves the issue of funding, and their concerts are well-attended (because they're free!).
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