I don’t find this NYT story surprising–sounds like a good business model for, albeit one that is pretty questionable ethically:
Every year foreign orchestras with exotic or impressive-sounding names crisscross the country. They follow grueling routes and play in arts centers, small theaters and school auditoriums in places like Pembroke, N.C., and Modesto, Calif.
The orchestra of Kislovodsk, from one of its publicity photographs.
But they are not always what they seem.
The Dublin Philharmonic that played two years ago in nearly 50 towns? Mostly Bulgarians. The Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra that toured the United States last year? Largely freelancers. The “Tschaikowski” St. Petersburg State Orchestra, which is scheduled for a major American tour next year? Even the man advertised as its principal guest conductor said he had never heard of it.
Read the complete article – NYT
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I’m less troubled by the makeup of the Dublin Philharmonic than I am by the bait-and-switch model mentioned later in the article. In fact, I find it a little laughable that the reporter was so shocked to find Bulgarians in an Irish orchestra. The professional music world has always been, to some degree, loose about its borders.
No, what I find more disturbing are the outright falsehoods told, for example, by the “Tschaikowski” orchestra – naming conductors and soloists without their knowledge or approval, promoting themselves as a renowned ensemble when no one has heard of them. On the one hand, one might argue, if the ensemble plays at a great level of excellence, who cares whether they’re a bunch of freelancers? On the other hand, if they really are a bunch of freelancers, how excellent can one expect them to be as an ensemble if they don’t play as a cohesive group on a regular basis?
Thought-provoking article, this one. I do agree that presenters face certain challenges in promoting little-known groups. Ultimately, though, I find the business model described in this article to be a little too sketchy.
If audiences actually had the ears to tell the difference between a mediocre orchestra and a world-class orchestra, we wouldn’t have this problem.