Monday, September 2, 2013

Fred Onovwerosuoke: 'I personally would prefer to applaud Maestro/Maestra Mei-Ann Chen for trying new creative programming strategies'

Fred Onovwerosuoke

Fred Onovwerosuoke writes about the Chicago Sinfonietta:

While I'd also empathize with some of the concerns being posted about Sinfonietta's season opener, I personally would prefer to applaud Maestro/Maestra Mei-Ann Chen for trying new creative programming strategies to reach new audiences. For this she's chosen from Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake Suite" and Price's e-minor symphony. I think we should wish her and the Chicago Sinfonietta good success with this experiment.

Certainly would have been easier to commission a new interdisciplinary work where the artistries of participating groups may shine through. For sure, in today's economic hardtimes the cost of such a venture might have been prohibitive for Chicago Sinfonietta or any other similar mid-sized orchestra. 

I'd like to be hopeful that FootworKingz and Kuumba Lynx, though diametrically opposite to the Sinfonietta in their modes of artistic expression, will through this collaboration offer a unique opportunity to their audiences. Absent this collaboration I believe not that their followers would be attentive to Price's glorious e-minor symphony.

Chicago Sinfonietta has established itself well in a very difficult industry, and, like most orchestras of the day, will continue to reinvent itself in a brutally competitive audience market place. Here in St. Louis, it's open secret that SLSO's Maestro David Robertson and President/CEO Fred Bronstein remain feisty (to put it mildly) over what some purists have shunned as "colorful programming." Folks, it's a tough market out there finding the right balance to please aging classical music patrons and attracting younger generation of new audiences.

It's certainly okay to be purist about great classical music, but (speaking for myself, of course!), I'd prefer to be rather curious not dismissive of new programming ideas. I know my comments may not be popular, but I do believe we can afford to be a little open-minded with Maestro Chen's programming experiment. So, here's to wishing the Chicago Sinfonietta a truly great season! 

In peace,
FredO


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