There are so many things going through my mind when reading the news and blogs on classical music in danger. Never before has Classical Music and Opera been so much under pressure as now, especially in the US. You cannot escape the news - from SF to LA, the Met to the Bolshoi, belts are being tightened. Opera house budgets are being cut, performances and tours are being cancelled, employees laid off and subsidies being withdrawn or lowered.
However frightening this stream of classical music news is, I can't help thinking that this isn't entirely a bad thing. There must be many new opportunities in dark times like now.
- First, Obama won the US election basically because he was able to reach out to new audiences by understanding the value of and adopting new technologies. Maybe the recession will help force us out of our comfort zones and get creative. That cannot be a bad thing for classical music.
- Opera is a cultural art form. Culture is a fluid and organic thing. From time to time it needs to regenerate. New stars need to be found, old management needs to come up with new ideas or make way for the new guard. New policies will emerge – as will a new creativity.
- Lastly, in a recession, culture is always one of the first sectors to be hit. This puts the industry in a spin. From Opera houses and venues to distributors, promoter, artists and managers, there is a heightened sense of urgency. New discussions emerge. New collaborations are forged. New business models evolve. New players enter the market. The audience, and in particular the fans, become more important.
Let's admit, that has to be a good thing, right?
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