In your opinion you assert, “there were no reports of organization-wide problems prior to Remmereit's arrival.” I don’t think this is neither an objective assessment of the situation nor a reflection of the mission of the search committee.
The RPO audience is ageing and predominantly white. The audience is drawn from the suburbs and the programming has been in the past very Euro-centric. There were comments in the community about the competence of the staffing. Hugh number of hours were expended in Show House fundraising efforts then abandoned – why? A wise Music Director might have just keep his mind off all the “noise” in the “back office.”
I believe the search committee was looking for a change and over promised and over stated the need or willingness to change. Misled, Areal tried to produce what was expected then found him self cut off at the knees by the anxious staff and board. With leadership so conditioned to the culture of Kodak and Xerox, dinosaurs of another age, its no wonder that the savior was crucified for leading to passionately.
But the damage is now done. The consequences will follow. Those who are discouraged and disappointed with the Board will turn to other institutions for their musical needs.
Here we are with a dying audience while another un-addressed audience is growing and has the cultural depth and cohesion to embrace an art form like the RPO could be, yet rigidity and clinging to the past may end in the slow demise of our Symphony.
Last week I was at in Carnegie Hall to see my Grand Daughter “dance” in a fundraiser. As I waited in the ticket line I was amused to see Gustavo Dudamel and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. Here they were scheduled for Sunday thru Wednesday schedule – not days we could fill Kodak Hall to 50%. What does NYC know that Rochester has yet to figure out? We shall see when the new search committee reports out.
Re: “Let Remmereit go”
Ms Tower,
In your opinion you assert, “there were no reports of organization-wide problems prior to Remmereit's arrival.” I don’t think this is neither an objective assessment of the situation nor a reflection of the mission of the search committee.
The RPO audience is ageing and predominantly white. The audience is drawn from the suburbs and the programming has been in the past very Euro-centric. There were comments in the community about the competence of the staffing. Hugh number of hours were expended in Show House fundraising efforts then abandoned – why? A wise Music Director might have just keep his mind off all the “noise” in the “back office.”
I believe the search committee was looking for a change and over promised and over stated the need or willingness to change. Misled, Areal tried to produce what was expected then found him self cut off at the knees by the anxious staff and board. With leadership so conditioned to the culture of Kodak and Xerox, dinosaurs of another age, its no wonder that the savior was crucified for leading to passionately.
But the damage is now done. The consequences will follow. Those who are discouraged and disappointed with the Board will turn to other institutions for their musical needs.
Here we are with a dying audience while another un-addressed audience is growing and has the cultural depth and cohesion to embrace an art form like the RPO could be, yet rigidity and clinging to the past may end in the slow demise of our Symphony.
Last week I was at in Carnegie Hall to see my Grand Daughter “dance” in a fundraiser. As I waited in the ticket line I was amused to see Gustavo Dudamel and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. Here they were scheduled for Sunday thru Wednesday schedule – not days we could fill Kodak Hall to 50%. What does NYC know that Rochester has yet to figure out? We shall see when the new search committee reports out.