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Page 2 – 1/3 Stafmn Ad – Publisher’s Letter – Table of Cont
Universe is a quarterly magazine featuring the artists of Price Rubin & Partners in addition to related stories about the Concert Music Management Industry. Universe is published by the Price Group LLC Executive and Administrative Staff
Jack Price Managing Director and Founding Partner
Marc Parella Partner and Director of Operations
Rebecca Petersen Administrative Assistant
Robert Hart Baker Consultant and Media Development
Management Group
Karrah Cambry
Senior Marketing Manager
Nathan Oakes Senior Marketing Manager
CatieLeigh Laszewski Marketing Manager
Olivia Stanford,Marketing Manager
Katherin Dalin, Marketing Associate
Company Address and Contact Information Price Rubin & Partners 520 Geary St Suite 605 San Francisco CA 94102 Toll Free: 866-PRI-RUBI Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.pricerubin.com Front Cover: Jens Georg Bachmann Additional Photo from Shuttershock ©The Price Group LLC – All Rights Reserved
Universe is a quarterly magazine featuring the artists of Price Rubin & Partners in addition to related stories about the Concert Music Management Industry. Universe is published by the Price Group LLC Executive and Administrative Staff
Jack Price Managing Director and Founding Partner
Marc Parella Partner and Director of Operations
Rebecca Petersen Executive Administrative
Robert Hart Baker Artist Consultant and Media Development
Chicago Management Group
Karrah Cambry
Senior Marketing Manager
Nathan Oakes Senior Marketing Manager
CatieLeigh Laszewski Marketing Manager
Olivia Stanford Marketing Manager
Katherin Dalin Marketing Associate
Company Address and Contact Information Price Rubin & Partners 520 Geary St Suite 605 San Francisco CA 94102 Toll Free: 866-PRI-RUBI Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.pricerubin.com ©The Price Group LLC – All Rights Reserved
Introduction from the Publisher Marc Parella, Partner - Director of Operations
s Price Rubin enters its 32nd year, we continue to offer an outstanding
roster of concert soloists, conductors, composers, and leading contributors to the concert music industry. We are privileged to announced a number of artists and ensembles joining our roster who remain among the industry's most-celebrated. I would like to welcome legendary concert flutist, author, and interviewer Eugenia
Zukerman who enjoys a unique place in our industry as an ambassador at large. She has enjoyed a full career performing and recording with major symphony orchestras and has contributed a companion career as one of the preeminent journalists and interviewers in our industry. She is a regular contributor to Musical America and was for many years seen on CBS Sunday Morning. She has written on a variety of topics from the side effects of medication to fiction, and of course on music. Her current project, Noted Endeavors offers insightful guidance to emerging young concert artists on a variety of topics relating to building a sustaining career. Joining Ms. Zukerman to the roster is the Eroica Trio, one of the all-time, most in-demand chamber musicians touring today. Violinist Sara Parkins, cellist Sara Sant'Ambrogio and pianist Erika Nickrenz have enjoyed a truly international career performing on major concert series, symphony orchestra programs along with several critically acclaimed recordings on EMI Classics. With a number of varied programs and highly innovative premieres, Price Rubin is pleased to present a chamber ensemble that is defining the future of chamber music. The St. Petersburg String Quartet (Alla Aranovskaya violin, Luis Angel Salazar Avila violin, Boris Vayner viola, Leonid Shukayev cello) is another strong entry to our roster. The quartet is currently in residence at Wichita State University and has toured extensively worldwide. A solid staple of the New York chamber music scene, the St. Petersburg String Quartet is actively pursuing new works and offering exciting programming. Adding to the quartet is the St. Petersburg Piano Quartet and the Suprima Chamber Orchestra. In this issue of Price Rubin Universe, we are featuring conductor Jens Georg Bachmann who has served as music director and associate director for a number of symphony orchestras including tenure as Associate Music Director under James Levine at the Boston Symphony. Maestro Bachmann reveals a special intensity to his music making and how his mentors helped craft his unique musical message. Rounding out our winter 2014/15 issue is a review on Price Rubin's Chamber Music roster and a feature article on how the entrepreneurial artist is the fulcrum for change in the Concert Music Industry. And how the early Personal Computer Industry might serve as a guide to how the Concert Music Industry might be able to see new ways. And lastly a personal note wishing our clients and staff a joyous and safe holiday time. December marks my fifth year as co-owner of Price Rubin. I have been blessed to work with an outstanding staff and gifted clients, and a business partner whom I have known for nearly 30 years.
A
musical score is after all nothing more than an arcane language of symbols learned
from an early age. A score at best only gives an interpreter
clues into the intended sound, and even after nearly a hundred
years of commercial recordings, an concert artist's career will be measured by their ability to
discover something hidden in the code that no one else has
yet found. For conductor Jens Bachmann, his
the code that no one else has yet found. For conductor Jens Bachmann, his journey of
discovery starts in his native Germany where he embarks on
a typical young person's career path in music. First, careful study of piano, voice, violin
that included a rigorous regiment of practice and
preparation. "Conservatory auditions in Germany are difficult and in order to prepare
for a career as a Kapellmeister,
which is what I intended to do, it became clear that conservatories in Germany offered the
opportunity early in my career to conduct at a very high level."
Bachmann adds. After four intense years at study to be a Kapellmeister in
Germany, Bachmann quickly advanced in German conducting
circles giving his operatic debut with the Berlin State Opera conducting Strauss' comedy Des Esels Schatten (The Donkey's Shadow).
The conducting experience in Germany opened an opportunity to study with
legendary conductor Otto-Werner Mueller. The chance to
mentor with Mueller at Juilliard complemented Bachmann's already voracious personal
discipline. Bachmann attended
Juilliard for two years where life in New York was the perfect playground for
an aspiring young conductor. "If I wasn't
conducting, studying, coaching, I was sneaking in to performances at
Lincoln Center, and right there I witnessed the best
of the best every night. It was amazing to hear not only the consistent quality
of the performances, but to hear so many different
works and conductors was enlightening." Bachmann attributes
much of his early development on Mueller's
cool temperament and insistence that conductor's get in to the skin of a
score. "Because Juilliard offered so much in the way
of practical hands-on training, I had the chance to
conduct the Juilliard Training Orchestra two hours a week." Bachmann's academic
career at Juilliard proved to be prescient of things to come. He
says, "a young conductor's career after all is measured by the company he or she keeps."
And Bachmann's first calling card after Juilliard comes from
none other than James Levine. "Upon returning to Germany, I get a call from James Levine
who was guesting at the Berlin Philharmonic. He asks for my
CV and then tells me that he wants to bring me on as an assistant with the Munich
Philharmonic where he was taking over from the late Sergiu Celibidache. Munich
turns out to be a proving ground for me as I had an
opportunity to see the rebuilding process. My early days working with Maestro
Levine filled in a void that was missing in me at the time
about the process of building
an orchestra and imparting a unique signature to the sound and makeup of an ensemble."
For Bachmann, Levine's legendary attention to tone
and musical texture garnered from decades of conducting opera revealed the missing
pieces to Bachmann's already copious musical offerings.
"Levine's direction to the orchestra was like an unveiling at an art museum. He
stressed the importance of the actual sound where the human
voice is key to understanding the entire music-making process. You need to first
know what sound you want then you must have the ability to convey that vision precisely
to your players. Lyricism, dynamics, phrasing, and formal
construction all stem from our vocal traditions, and in this capacity, James Levine
presented me with the tools to reach a zenith of perfection."
Bachmann undoubtedly struck a chord with Levine as he was invited to audition as
an assistant conductor at the Boston Symphony. In the
meantime a number of guest conducting opportunities and another associate position at
the Fort Worth Symphony were added to his CV along with a
short stint as music director of the short-lived Texas Chamber Orchestra. His early guest
conducting engagements included Stuttgart State Opera
and Nürnberg State Opera. He also conducted the New York Metropolitan Opera where he
served as a staff conductor. He made his Met debut
conducting The Magic Flute in a nationally live radio broadcast during the 2006- 2007 season.
But the symphonic repertoire with its steep interpretive
tradition awaited Bachmann's next appointment, Associate
Conductor at the Boston Symphony. "When Maestro Levine
was offered the position at Boston in 2004, he invited me
to audition. After receiving the appointment to join the BSO, I knew from my experience at
Munich that he was going to rearchitect the sound of
America's oldest orchestra - not an easy task. An orchestra's identity is its sound
and cajoling players to do things that they may have
never done before not only takes the insight to arrive at such a place, but a set of skills
requiring tact, diplomacy and
fortitude necessary to get 80 musicians to sound like a single musical unit. A unit of
your own design." At Boston, Bachmann took more of an
active role conducting a number of subscription concerts and substituting for
Levine whenever the elder maestro was ill.
His tenure at Boston opened a number of new
opportunities with engagements with the NDR Sinfonieorchester Hamburg,
NDR Radio Philharmonie Hannover, The Florida
Orchestra, Gävle Symfoniorkester in Sweden, and a production of Le Nozze di
Figaro at the Royal Swedish Opera Stockholm. Bachmann
was appointed music director at the Crested Butte Music Festival in
Colorado from 2010 through the 2012 summer seasons, and
gave master classes and concerts at New York
University’s Steinhardt School
of Music and Performing Arts Profession and the Manhattan School of Music. He has
recently returned to the Fort Worth Symphony after a n
absence of ten years to guest conduct. Bachmann attributes his
passion to that of his mentors. In addition to his formal
training with Mueller and his apprenticeship with Levine,
Bachmann has also worked with Christoph von Dohnanyi during his tenure with the
NDR Sinfonieorchester Hamburg. "Mentoring with von
Dohnanyi gave me an insight into the communication process of working with
musicians. He is obsessed with clarity and precision."
Bachmann believes that the concert experience is special, and the modern
concert hall is hallow ground. He dismisses wonted
programming but stresses
that experimental deviations can be reckless - with no guarantee of any innovation
the concert industry needs. "Programming must make
sense. Just as there are relationships between sections of a piece, there are
relationships among different works, composers, periods." In
addition to the challenges of programming, Bachmann sees the missing element in the
symphony experience as the need for inclusion. He says
that modern audiences need to be treated more holistically. He calls for greater inclusion
through pre/post concert conversations and greater
community involvement. "The modern music director must be a master communicator.
Someone who can take a vision and convey that not only to
musicians but the very audience all of our work is intended to enrich. These
values were instilled by exceptional opportunities in the
orchestras I have directed and with mentors who revealed great insights to me."
For Jens Georg Bachmann the journey continues to reach
that zenith, a plane where the confluence of perfection and
dedication is matched with equal appreciation from a growing and increasingly
involved audience base. Somewhere in the code of
music this perfect equation exists. █
Manager's Report: Jack Price, Founding Partner he last quarter of 2014 has been quite
productive. A number of our artists are touring and the roster is enjoying strong support in many quarters of the industry. I am finalizing contracts with the Fresno Philharmonic, Reno Chamber, Las Cruces New Mexico Symphony, Pueblo Symphony,
Abilene Philharmonic, and the Cleveland Orchestra. I am working on a US tour for Italian/America violinist Francesca Dego with tour stops at Fresno Philharmonic, Reno Chamber and Las Cruces New Mexico Symphony. She is enjoying a well-deserved wave of strong interest from symphony presenters as a result of her recent Deutsche Grammophon recording of the 24 Paganini Caprices. Pianist Elena Ulyanova who joined the roster in August has generated strong immediate interest, and is a pianist known for a commanding and authoritative technique. She has been engaged to perform with the Lonnie Klein and the Las Cruses Symphony next December. I will be heading to Dallas for New Years Eve to attend the US debut of soprano Laura Alonso with the Dallas Symphony with guest conductor Oliver von Dohnanyi. And speaking of Texas, I had a chance to visit my good friend Dan Strait in Austin whom you may know owns the Strait Music Company, one of the largest independent music retailers in the US. I had Dan on my radio show recently who talked about his relationships with legendary concert artists, some of whom have performed at Strait's own concert venue adjacent to his anchor store in Austin. Dan's legacy in the retail music industry cannot be understated. He is one of the titans. Karrah Cambry, Senior Marketing Manager has been busy working on guest conducting engagements for conductor David Handel who is attracting a great deal of interest. She has an upcoming engagement for David with the Omsk Siberian Symphony Orchestra in 2016. Mezzo-Soprano Marina Serpagli traveled to New York from Italy this past October where she auditioned for the Center for Contemporary Opera. This was Marina's first New York audition. Former New York
Metropolitan Mezzo Isola Jones recently joined the roster. Isola has enjoyed a truly internationally renowned career having performed over 500 Met performances. Price Rubin is working to secure master class and workshop opportunities along with special vocal engagements. Karrah has also been working on Ronald Foster's An Evening at the Ballet which has interest from several regional orchestras. This innovative symphonic ballet program features a full-length concert of ballet music performed by members of the Joffrey Ballet as is scheduled to perform with the Anchorage Symphony next February. Baritone John Davies will be among the soloists for Symphony Irvine's performance of Verdi's Requiem this March arranged by Price Rubin. I am also pleased to announce Price Rubin's collaboration with the Eroica Trio, certainly one of the all-time top performing chamber groups touring today. Their EMI recordings have garnered worldwide praise and we are receiving strong immediate interest for them in 2015-2016. In addition to the Eroica Trio, Price Rubin has signed the St. Petersburg String Quartet representing them in sundry territories and their companion ensembles, the St. Petersburg Piano Quartet and the Suprima Chamber Orchestra. The chamber orchestra is available worldwide through Price Rubin. CatieLeigh Laszewski who works on the campaign for the Texas Guitar Quartet has found considerable interest in this unique and highly talented group. Price Rubin has secured the quartet with the Abilene Texas Philharmonic for a concert next season along with a residency at the Guitar Foundation of America annual conference in Oklahoma City next year. Katherine Dalin who joined the marketing staff back in October provided marketing support in an joint marketing endeavor between Price Rubin and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She recently handled the campaign for the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism, a week-long symposium featuring music critics from the major newspapers and periodicals. As we enter 2015, the quality of the roster has steadily improved with the addition of artists, music directors and ensembles who are among the most-esteemed and recognized in the industry. It is going to a very good year indeed.
Accordion
Heli Siekkinen Fabio Antonelli
Conductor Aldo Bernardi
Jean-Francois Gonzales-Hamilton
Bassoon Céleste-Marie Roy
Hummie Mann
Martin Akerwall
Jens Georg Bachmann
Cello Allison Eldredge
Lalo Schifrin
Antonino Artino Innaria
John Devlin
Bas Jongen
Lars Graugaard
Bradley Bosenbeck
Leon Burke
Kalin Ivanov
Larry Groupé
Carmelo Caruso
Alejandro Sanchez-Navarro
Kate Dillingham
Luis Jorge Gonzalez
David Benoit
Massimiliano Donninelli
Sara Sant'Ambrogio
Mark Snow
David Handel
Robert Hart Baker
Cimbalom Mykhaylo Zakhariya
Matthew H Fields
Lalo Schifrin
Hideaki Hirai
Composer Alain Feron
Maycown Reichembach
Garo Avessian
Rolf Bertsch
Anthony Newman
Michael Sydney Jones
Grzegorz Nowak
Ronald Foster
Alejandro Sanchez-Navarro
Pamela Illanes Tatsuoka
Nicolas Couton
Steven Byess
Christopher Boscole
Ronald Foster
Jacob Chi
Toufic Maatouk
Donald Yu
Yaron Gottfried
James Richards
Walter Proost
Toll Free 866-PRI-RUBI ext. 1
Email: [email protected]
Yaron Gottfried
St. Petersburg Piano Quartet Outside North America/UK
Burning Gums
Piano Alex Slobodyanik
Alexander Vikulov
St. Petersburg String Quartet Outside North America/UK
Conrad Herwig
Alexander Kobrin
Andrea Licata
Flute Valerio Fasoli
Edgar Gabriel
Beatriz Boizan
Matthew Savery
Eugenia Zukerman
Peggy Duquesnel
Blandine Waldmann
Derek Gleeson
Guitar Alvaro Henrique
Sarah Jane Cion
Bobby Chen
Theodore Kuchar
Lito Romero
David Benoit
Chiu Yu Chen
Robert Ryker
Robert Phillips
Uli Geissendoerfer
Christopher Boscole
Edward Benyas
Roberto Capocchi
Yaron Gottfried
Elena Ulyanova
Lonnie Klein
Guitar Quartet The Romeros Outside US/Germany
Christopher Boscole
Enrico Padovani
Anthony Newman
Texas Guitar Quartet
Maycown Reichembach
Gabriel Arnold
Contra Bassoon
Susan Nigro
Harmonica Jia-Yi He
Orchestra Suprima Chamber Orchestra
Ian Gindes
Ensemble PEN Trio
Harp Melinda Zak
New York Chamber Orchestra
Julia Zilberquit
Eroica Trio
Harpsichord Anthony Newman
Sinfonia Varsovia US Only
Katie Mahan
N2K Katherine Cash Violin Norm Freeman Percussion
Jazz/Pop Al Chez
Organ Anthony Newman
Leslie Howard
Mario Galeani
Roger Myers
Lu Ye
Michael Sellers
Viola da gamba Vered Forbes
Marina Serpagli
Michelle Kim
Violin Chloe Trevor
Paul Williamson
Mikhail Korzhev
Christian Vachon
Diana Jacklin
Pervez Mody
Cyrus Forough
Juliet Petrus
Rika Zayasu
Katherine Cash
Laura Alonso
Sandra Shen
Florin Croitoru
Isola Jones
Yaron Gottfried
Francisca Mendoza
Special Attractions Janice Martin Shows
Yoshie Akimoto
Garry Ianco
Piano Duo Firenze Piano Duo
Salvatore Accardo
TrevisanZaccaria Piano Duo
Francesca Dego
Viola Hong-Mei Xiao
Naoko Matsui
Oleg Larionov
Vocal Davies & Campbell Duo
Visit www.pricerubin.com for complete artist information including audio and video media, links to CD and upcoming events.
".
hamber music is set to see a revival and 2015-16 could be one of the best seasons for chamber music groups in years. The genre is teaming with ensembles of all kinds offering exciting and innovative programming. It is
now becoming chic to attend a chamber music concert, and one presenter tells Universe Magazine that they are seeing younger and more diverse audiences. One reason for the upward trend is that the genre is successfully breaking away from its stereotypical image undoubtedly portrayed by a laughable quartet of near-dead string players sawing away at a slow movement. Instead today's chamber music image is alive with younger, more energetic performers programming adventurous and entertaining repertoire. Arrangements of Beatles and Rolling Stones classics have been known to find their way on a chamber music concert with concert attendees guaranteed plenty of "satisfaction".
C
Above: The St. Petersburg String Quartet
The chamber music ensemble is classical music's rock band image complete with stoic-looking group photos and trendy-sounding group names. Programming is now attracting the services of A-listed composers and arrangers who are adding new repertoire, and chamber music is quickly emerging as the most-evolving genre in serious concert music. Works for narrator and string quartet are no longer oddities and programming today draws on imaginative
set designs, multi-media presentations that incorporate dance, video, and other visual accompaniments.
However traditional programming has not been left on the side of the road, and the chamber music heritage is indeed rich and varied, drawing on a 500 year reservoir of standard repertoire.
Why all the appeal? It could be attributed to the fact that each musician of an ensemble is treated equally serving as both soloist and accompanist.
Price Rubin's chamber music roster offers a variety of seasoned and veteran chamber groups along with new ensembles attracting the attention of regional chamber music presenters.
The 2015-2016 chamber music season promises to offer audiences a selection of artists and programs of uncompromising quality and originality. a Price Rubin is pleased to present chamber music ensembles for 2015-2016 season.
Price Rubin Chamber Music Ensemble Roster for 2015-2016
EEErrroooiiicccaaa TTTrrriiiooo SSSaaarrraaa PPPaaarrrkkkiiinnnsss vvviii ooolll iii nnn,,, SSSaaarrraaa SSS aaannnttt ''' AAAmmm bbbrrroooggg iiiooo ccceeelll lll ooo,,, EEErrr iiikkkaaa NNN iiiccckkkrrreeennnzzz pppiiiaaannn ooo Among the premiere chamber ensembles performing today with the San Francisco Examiner proclaiming: "It's been decades since this country has produced a chamber music organization with this much passion." Programs include arrangements of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, Bernstein's Westside Story and works by Mark O'Connor, Lowell Liebermann, and Astor Piazzolla.
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The highly-acclaimed and multi award-winning St. Petersburg String Quartet continues to enthrall audiences with superbly crafted performances. The quartet has performed worldwide including a six-concert series at New York's BargeMusic Series, the Chamber Music Series at Lincoln Center, and residencies at Oberlin and Wichita State University.
.
success and artists need to
connect to the very people who should know them and
consider them for public performance. I had the luxury of worldwide publicity
and a major recording contract in the late 70s and
that was what created an immediate brand – and attracted managers like Bill
Judd. But had I had the kind
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Adding to the chamber music prowess of the St. Petersburg String Quartet, the Piano Quartet provides audiences with fresh and energetic interpretations of standard and innovative repertoire. Having performed at the New York BargeMusic Series and the famed Da Camera Society series in Los Angeles, the St. Petersburg Piano Quartet ranks as one of the top, in-demand piano quartets touring today.
SSSuuuppprrriiimmmaaa CCChhhaaammmbbbeeerrr OOOrrrccchhheeessstttrrraaa The Suprima Chamber Orchestra (SCO) was established in 2011 as a professional ensemble at Wichita State University by the members of St. Petersburg String Quartet. Students play with the members of the Quartet. Another mission is to find and present young talented musicians to play with the SCO as soloists. Among its many successful concerts, one of the soloists was a 5-year old-Jonathan Okseniuk of YouTube fame who played violin and conducted the CSO.
LLLooosss RRRooommmeeerrrooosss CCCeee lll iiinnn RRR ooo mmm eeerrr ooo ,,, PPPeee ppp eee RRR ooo mmmeee rrr ooo ,,, LLL iii ttt ooo RRR ooommm eeerrr ooo ,,, aaa nnn ddd CCCeee lll iiinnn ooo RRR ooommm eeerrr ooo The original quartet that invented the guitar quartet genre. Aptly named: "The Royal Family of the Guitar", the Romero's are probably the most-identified name in the world of classical guitar.
PPPEEENNN TTTrrriiiooo NNN ooo rrr aaa LLL eee www iii sss ooo bbbooo eee ,,, EEErrr iii ccc VVV aaa nnn dddeee rrr VVVeee eeerrr VVV aaa rrr nnneee rrr bbb aaasss sss ooo ooonnn ,,, PPP hhh iii lll lll iiippp OOO ... PPP aaa ggg lll iii aaa lllooo nnn ggg aaa ccc lllaaa rrr iiinnn eee ttt The PEN Trio offers concert presenters exciting repertoire from established composers along with captivative arrangements and insightful interpretations of standard repertoire. A venerable fixture performing at college series and academic conferences, the PEN Trio delivers a stunning concert performance experience. "They brought all of their considerable personality and ability into our concert to create a wonderfully moving and uplifting performance." M. Ross Baldwin, Cranbrook Music Guild
TTTeeexxxaaasss GGGuuuiiitttaaarrr QQQuuuaaarrrttteeettt JJJ ooo sss eee ppp hhh WWW iii lll lll iii aaa mmm sss III III ,,, AAA llleee jjj aaannn ddd rrr ooo MMM ooo nnn ttt iiieee lll ,,, JJJ ooo nnn aaa ttt hhh aaa nnn DDD ooo ttt sss ooo nnn ,,, III sss aaa aaaccc BBB uuusss ttt ooo sss The Texas Guitar Quartet has emerged as one of the preeminent quartets in the US having performed on a number of major series including the New York City Classical Guitar Society, Victoria Bach Festival, Austin Classical Guitar Society, Guitar Houston, Texas Music Festival, Troubadour Series at Wofford College, UT at Brownsville Festival, and Austin Chamber Music. 2014-16 Touring Artists of the Texas Commission On The Arts with applicable grant funding available.
NNNeeewww YYYooorrrkkk CCChhhaaammmbbbeeerrr OOOrrrccchhheeessstttrrraaa An all-star ensemble made up of some of New York's most-gifted chamber players. A regular staple at New York's Merkin Hall and other chamber music series, the NYCO premieres and records new works written especially for them. An ideal chamber-size orchestra available for tours, workshops, academic conferences, and special hire.
This is a tale of two industries. One thriving, creating 10,000 jobs a month, where the talent is in such hyper demand, labor recruiters attempt to poach workers from other companies at transit stops. The other anemic, unable to recover from economic and cultural erosion, where innovation threatens its traditions and any new talent is met with hostile indifference. One industry that started in garages and upstairs attics, appealing at first to enthusiasts, grew to become a $450 billion a year industry worldwide. The other unable to pay its workers a living salary and 90% of its college and conservatory graduates eventually go in to other fields. The year is 1977 and at a PC conference in Seattle, a group of approximately 150 computer hobbyists gather at an early industry convention to meet fellow software programmers and hardware designers. One of the top concerns on everyone's mind is whether a standard operating system is going to be adopted among PC manufacturers. Without a standard OS, computer programs would only work on one type of computer. The other hot topic among
The Hurtles Facing the Entrepreneurial Artist the conference attendees was the prevailing attitude that personal computers would not sell well to the general public because it seems most people had no idea why they would even need a PC. Unless a standard OS could be adopted, software developers would have to create software that would work on different platforms. Was the PC industry destined to stay as an Enthusiasts' Industry - where those who produced software would be the only ones who would use it? As it turns out the Classical Music Industry can learn a lot from the early Personal Computer Industry. In fact a very important answer is found in that the PC industry grew from enthusiasts who became entrepreneurs. The intellectual investment necessary to solve the insurmountable technical problems also had to sell the public on the useful applications of a PC. When the cost of an average PC in the late 1980s equaled four to six weeks wages, and some software costing more than the PC itself, the early PC industry knew it had to rely on mass marketing and a
How an industry cultural is keeping our best from shining. How an industry's culture is keeping our best from shining.
little known concept called culture shaping - the idea that a product can affect changes in cultural attitudes and behavior. The early PC industry, like the current Classical Music Industry faced strong resistance from new consumers. Learning to use a computer in 1979 was about as difficult as learning to appreciate Stravinsky. Older computer users who were originally weaned on mainframe systems resisted new technologies such as the Graphical User Interface and application multitasking. Terms like User Friendly can be compared to concert music's Accessible Programming, and were used similarly to entice new consumers. But for the computer industry to have evolved, software companies needed to address those issues early on, and those that were successful rightly identified them as cultural problems. People change only when they see the change around them, and how the change benefits them. Software manufacturers invested heavily in support and training where a personal relationship was developed between the software maker and the end user.
The idea of making the concert experience personal is not necessarily a new idea but presenters have either resisted the idea of engaging directly with their audience or simply did not have the resources to reach them. Over the years, and especially since the 2008 economic crash, this has contributed more than anything to declining audience attendance. Add to this hardship the advent of free content on the internet, a tradition that is highly resistant to change, and an industry culture that works harder to keep new talent out than attracts new audiences, and the industry is destined to become the very thing the PC industry was in 1977 -- an industry where those who write and perform serious concert music are those who listen to it.
The idea of making the concert experience personal is not necessarily a new idea but presenters have either resisted the idea of engaging directly with their audience or simply did not have the resources to reach them. Over the years, and especially since the 2008 economic crash, this lack of engagement has contributed substantially to declining audience attendance. Add to this hardship the advent of free content on the internet, a classical tradition that is highly resistant to change, and an industry culture that works harder to keep new talent out than attracts new audiences, and the concert industry is destined to become the very thing the PC industry was in 1977 -- an industry where those who write and perform serious concert music are the ones who end up listening to it. In the late 1950s with the emergence of television and high-fidelity stereo records, classical music enjoyed increased popularity, and personalities like Leonard Bernstein were a household name. Opera stars held real status in western cultural, and pop culture freely embraced classical music idioms.
Television became an medium in which artists could engage directly with audiences and do so on a scale never before seen. Bernstein saw this potential and exploited it for all it was worth. Certainly as one of the most telegenic personalities, Bernstein introduced millions to the symphony orchestra repertoire and such heady concepts as orchestration, counterpoint, development, and the greater meaning of classical music through his Young Peoples Concerts broadcast on CBS from 1958 through 1972. These concerts were proof that audience engagement created interest, and interest ultimately created demand. Today there have been other attempts to revive the Young Peoples Concerts concept. Most recently Gerard Schwarz and the All Star Orchestra, an orchestra made up of top-level players from major orchestras throughout the US, have developed free, downloadable programming on YouTube with each episode addressing a single subject. Schwarz presents a short introduction to works with additional commentary coming from orchestra members. Unfortunately the view counts are low and there have only been eight episodes produced but it is indeed a step in the right direction as it addresses the need for musicians to start talking about music. Listen to Gerard Schwarz's interview on the Jack Price Radio Show: http://www.pricerubin.com/jprs/archive
But pre-concert talks only address the faithful - those who get it. Get this in front a group of 30-something tech workers in Corporate America, and they'll be lost before the end of the exposition section. There needs to be a new, radically different departure to the world of serious music , yet artists and administrators are stuck trying to start their 1972 Lincoln Continental and get it out of reverse. Serious music must come to terms that its traditions are killing it and new paradigms are needed now. This is indeed a very scary prospect but to tech workers this is a day at the office. The computer industry cannot live without constant innovation and the threat to someone's job comes not only from a restructuring of the company or a cancellation of a project, but more from new software technology that makes a tech worker's years of experience instantly outdated. No one in classical music is designing a new instrument that puts principle orchestra players out of work, but in some small way, this is indeed what needs to happen. The industry's survival will not come from evolution or revolution, but from convulsion. After all every great milestone in human artistic development came from the need to change the status quo, and so-called contemporary music does little to further this process. A new work may get a thunderous reception but often new works generate a polite yawn. There is not only a lack of innovation in the concert industry, there is a lack of invention, and the industry has been playing safe for too long. It is time for a major upgrade to its thinking and direction.
A Young Person's Guide to Fixing the Orchestra.
What music graduates and mid-career artists can do right now to help their cause.
1) Invite people to your rehearsals instead of your
concerts. Seeing the process of making music is
something new to most people who may never have
been exposed to a concert event. And if possible seat
people right on stage.
2) Learn to speak in public. If music students develop
the confidence needed to speak publicly and engage with
people one-on-one, this one improvement will help to
generate interest and possible collaboration from their
communities. This is not only something music students
need to develop, it is something that every professional
musician must now master.
3) Avoid a career in teaching, especially college-level
teaching unless that is your passion. There are far too
many people teaching today and new teachers are not
needed. And there is also something disingenuous about
teachers teaching students a profession that most can't
make a living at. Instead pursue a good plan B where a
steady high-income job can do more to help a music
career than all the academic honors one could possibly
earn. Plus having additional skills will come in handy
when it is time to run an orchestra or a festival.
4) Separate your career into two main areas. The
business of your career should be treated as a business.
Your artistry should be something completely different.
Develop a sensible marketing plan that incorporates a
well-developed internet and social media presence.
Make sure the people in the industry who should know
you are aware of what you do and why they should
engage you.
5) Don't participate in puerile grudge matches. The
industry right now needs collaboration, and petty
fighting takes away constructive time and energy needed
to solve problems. Advancement in a career should not
be built discrediting others. Instead solicit and offer
constructive criticism that is intended to make
improvements.
6)Volunteer your time working for arts groups. Every
organization needs volunteers, and there is no better
way to get in to the thick of the industry than working
for a local symphony, ballet or opera company.
Helping others discover their appreciation for music is
job one for all artists today. Music students should
worry more about how to help their industry than finding
their first job. That in time will come, but it won't come
unless there is a growing audience base capable of
supporting a young person's music career goals and an
industry capable of giving that person a job.
Marc Parella is a Partner and Director of Operations for Price Rubin and Partners.
PRPRadioOne Program Guide
Listen to 24-hour PRPRadioOne at www.pricerubin.com/radio featuring commercial recordings and selective live performances by PRP artists along with industry talk radio. All Times Eastern and approximate
8am Morning Programming 11am Today in Music Education with Anthony Masiello(Sat) 11:55 Musical Moment with Eugenia Zukerman 12pm The Jack Price Radio Show*
1pm Today in Music Education with Anthony Masiello(Thur)*
2pm General Programming 6pm Repeat: The Jack Price Radio Show 7pm General Programming 9pm Repeat: The Jack Price Radio Show 10pm Jazz Tonight 12pm Repeat: The Jack Price Radio Show 1am Overnight *Premium programming
Chicago area jazz violinist and member of the String Fusion Jazz Ensemble Edgar Gabriel is heard on Jazz Tonight 10pm featuring singles She's a Duesy and Fat Chance on a Friday Afternoon
Legendary Concert Bassist Gary Karr is a regular contributor on the Jack Price Radio Show 12Noon Daily
Each Thursday at 1pm Anthony Masiello engages in lively talk with today’s most intriguing movers and shakers on Today in Music Education
Starting in January Eugenia Zukerman's Musical Moment features past interviews of industry insiders and special guests. Prior to the Jack Price Radio Show each weekday.
Violist and composer Oleg Larionov is heard on PRPRadioOne Overnight 1am
Composer/Conductor Hideaki Hirai has been appointed Music Director of the New York Festival Orchestra with his first concert this March at Merkin Hall. He has also had a number of successful performances of his opera Princess from the Moon and is a regular guest conductor with the Czech Virtuosi Orchestra.
Violinist Francesca Dego has three upcoming engagements for 2015-2016. Price Rubin has procured dates with the Fresno Philharmonic, Reno Chamber Orchestra, and the Las Cruces (NM) Symphony Orchestra.
Price Rubin has secured two engagements for the Texas Guitar Quartet. A January 30 2016 concert with the Abilene Philharmonic and a residence at the Guitar Foundation of America's annual conference next year in Oklahoma City next year.
Two-time Emmy® Award-Winning composer Hummie Mann has been invited to give master classes at the University of Southern California, University of Northern Colorado and the California Institute of the Arts. All three events have been arranged by Price Rubin.
Price Rubin is working on a tour for cellist Allison Eldredge and the European Philharmonia for 2015-2016 with concerts in Ireland and Belgium.
Conductor Jens Georg Bachmann has been invited to conduct The State University of New York at Stony Brook University orchestra in a concert contracted by Price Rubin.
Violist Hong-Mei Xiao is scheduled to perform with the Southern Arizona Symphony in Tucson next May. She will performing Bohuslav Martinu's Rhapsody-Concerto .
Baritone John Davies will be among the soloists with Symphony Irvine in a performance of the Verdi Requiem arranged by Price Rubin later next spring.
Concert Harmonica virtuoso Jia-Yi He has been invited to performed at a New Year's concert at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall as part of the China Arts Foundation New Year's Concert. Mr. He is also scheduled to performed with the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia next November.
Italian mezzo-soprano Marina Serpaglia auditioned with the Contemporary Center for Opera in New York last November in an audition arranged by Price Rubin. This was Ms. Serpaglia's first audition in the United States.
Jazz pianist, composer and vocalist Peggy Duquesnel has a new pops orchestra program featuring standards by Antonio Carolos Jobim, Barbara Streisand, and Nat King and Natalia Cole. Peggy is appearing at the Steamers Jazz Club and Cafe in Fullerton CA this January.
Pianist Elena Ulyanova has been engaged to perform with the Las Cruces New Mexico Symphony next season in an appearance arranged by Price Rubin.
Conductor David Handel has been invited to conduct the Omsk Siberian Symphony in 2016 in an engagement arranged by Price Rubin.
Pianist and composer Christopher Boscole recent US tour included stops in Seattle, Portland and Sedona Arizona where he performed at the Sedona Creative Life Center. Price Rubin handled the publicity for Mr. Boscole's tour.
Organist Anthony Newman has a busy winter performing at the Disney Hall as part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Guest Artist Series and then to San Francisco where he will performed on the American Bach Soloists series in March.
Conductor Martin Akerwall will be a guest lecturer/performer at Bemidji State University in the fall of 2015 for the Nielsen/Sibelius 150 Anniversary.
Winter 2014/2015 Roster News
