Chicago Classical Music
Last Saturday (April 5) marked the premiere of Introductions, a brand-new weekly program on 98.7 WFMT (Saturdays from 11:00am-12:00pm) which features Chicago-area pre-collegiate musicians doing what they love most; playing classical music.
"It's important to reach out specifically to this younger audience which is enthusiastic about classical music, that we hadn't tried to explicitly attract until now," said David Polk, the show's producer. "I'm excited that I get to expand WFMT's reach and pioneer new ways to connect with audiences via the airwaves and also the internet."
Read more about Introductions and Polk in this article in the recent TimeOut! Magazine.
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Social network services on the Internet come and go; a while ago MySpace was the dominant service, now it is equaled, and soon undoubtedly surpassed, by Facebook in traffic. There are dozens of other popular services, such as Orkut and Friendster, and probably thousands of small, niche-market sites.
What’s an arts organization to do with all this new media? Jason Heath
talks about it in a video (in which he mentions Chicago Classical Music as an excellent example). In the last section, he talks about Facebook (“more and more Facebook over Myspace,” according to Jason).
Facebook didn’t start out very business friendly, but there have always been ways for fans of different organizations to express their love. The most commonly used way was Facebook Groups. Some of CCM’s Participating Organizations have these groups (I’m not sure which were started by fans and which were started by the organization:
Ars Antiqua;
Chicago Chamber Musicians;
Grand Park Music Festival;
Ravinia Festival). The CSO has several, all started by fans.
Then in November of last year, Facebook launched Facebook Pages. Two CCM organizations have already established a presence:
Chicago Opera Theater and
WFMT. Today, we launched
our own Facebook page. There are obvious marketing benefits to having a page for your own organization, but I believe the main strength is building a community and participate (just like CCM aims to do).
So go explore Facebook and if you have an account, be sure to
become a fan of the CSO. If you do so before this Friday, April 11, you enter for a chance to win the latest recording from our new CSO Resound label,
Mahler’s Symphony No. 6,
signed by Principal Conductor Bernard Haitink.
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Regarding Jim's blog on Dudamel's appearance on 60 Minutes (which agreed is a good piece), I'd like to link to Andrew Patner's
Critical Thinking interview with Dudamel which took place just days before he flew to California (mid-stint with the CSO!) to make his announcement with the LA Philharmonic. Contrary to the last line of the 60 Minutes piece, we in fact heard all about Dudamel on WFMT first.
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Amy Iwano. I was on a Southwest Airlines flight the other day, off to attend to some family business in Ohio before the Grant Park Music Festival is scheduled to swing into action later this week. Leafing through Spirit Magazine, the Southwest Publication designed to keep our minds off turbulence and on happy, interesting thoughts, I happened upon an article featuring the Chicago Chamber Musicians’ own Amy Iwano.
The subtitle reads, “A musician (and mother) picks the best classical albums for kids.” Since Amy is an expert on chamber music AND kids, I urge you to pick up a copy this month to see what she has to say. If you don’t have access to a Southwest flight this month, check out the article online by clicking here. Go Amy.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 01/31/2007 - 11:09am.
Thanks to all of you who filled out the chicagoclassicalmusic.org survey. The feedback we received will help us make some changes on this site that you will see in the near future. Thanks also to Jim Ginsberg and Cedille Records for their generous incentive of a free CD to all who filled out the survey.
I quickly read through the survey comments and was struck by the fact that some of you feel we are being too polite in our writing about our colleagues and the field, and that a little more "spice" would improve the site. Many of us who write for this site have discussed this among ourselves and have tried to add a little controversy every now and then. The fact is, we really can't go too far out on the limb because our boards expect us to represent our organizations in certain ways - and that most definitely does not include taking shots at individuals and other organizations in the field.
If you guys want more controversy, that's what the forums and comment sections of this site are for. I, for one, always welcome a good tussle among people with different points of view, and if you start something, I will jump in with an opinion, fact, or other comment.
Also, if there are subjects that you want to see represented on this site, you can post articles, email any of us, or even write a guest blog (I'm inviting you now).
The other feedback we received through the surveys was that we use our blogs too often to promote our upcoming events. Therefore, I won't mention our February 9th Chamber Music concert at the Adler Planetarium featuring the string ensemble, FAQtet, for an 
unbelievably low price that includes admission to the museum and an after-concert Q&A!
By the way, did you hear about the compromising position Brian Dickie was caught in the other night with a cellist, a soccer player, and an accountant? Seriously folks, have at it!
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Just wanted to let everyone know that ChicagoClassicalMusic.org switched servers this weekend and we're still tying up loose ends. If you notice something that looks askew, we're probably still working on it. Do notify us if you have any trouble posting comments or other content. Thanks for your input and patience -- the end result should be more enjoyable for everyone!
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It's been an interesting week and I thought I'd use this diary posting to catch up on a little bit of what's been going on.
PLEDGE
WFMT's pledge drive ended on June 21st with wonderful results. We raised $401,000 from 2800 callers and this set a record for an eight-day drive in June. We couldn't be more pleased. I said several times on-air that "we just got a call from Bill Gates offering to pledge $200 million with the proviso that we don't do any more pledge drives, and I turned him down because we enjoy doing them too much to give them up." Hahaha. Actually, we do enjoy doing them because it's a great opportunity to speak to our listeners and hear what they have to say about the station. This type of interaction is unique to a listener-supported station and is very important to us. Another point all of us make on-the-air is that a pledge to WFMT is really a way of supporting virtually every classical music ensemble in town because WFMT is devoted to so many organizations. The list is very long but just a few of the groups we work with include the Lyric Opera, Music in the Loft, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Musicians, Elgin Symphony, University of Chicago, City of Chicago, Music Institute of Chicago, Chicago Sinfonietta, Harris Theater, Merit School of Music, Ars Viva, Ravinia and too many more to list here. So to have such a record-breaking June drive makes everyone at WFMT feel terrific. If you pledged, thanks very much!
TRIP TO ISRAEL
The WFMT Radio Network has been talking with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) for over two years about producing a 13-part series of broadcast concerts. Happily, a few weeks ago, the IPO called to say they were able to raise the funds necessary to pull it off and they would like the series to begin in October. Itzhak Perlman will host the series... October 2006! Yikes. This means moving into high gear as fast as possible, and we've done just that. WFMT's Jan Weller is going to produce and he'll join me in Tel Aviv next week to conduct a few dozen interviews with musicians in the orchestra, orchestra management, patrons, critics, historians, Zubin Mehta, and others we encounter during the week that we'll be there. It's going to be a whirlwind trip. I'll still be there when my next blog posting is due, so I'll write from Tel Aviv next week.
THE SILK ROAD to HIGHLAND PARK
On Monday, June 26th, WFMT broadcast Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble concert live from the Pritzker Pavilion. It was a spectacular event. Yo-Yo and his ensemble offered a marvelous evening of music notable for its richness and variety. Yo-Yo was the perfect MC for the concert. Every seat at the Pritzker was filled and the lawn was jammed. I was told something like 25,000 people heard the concert. Thousands more heard it on WFMT and on the WFMT Radio Network, where it was broadcast live. The host was WFMT's Lisa Flynn with engineering by the amazing Eric Arunas, who offered listeners a sound mix that left nothing out and was superbly balanced and focused throughout. The broadcast was underwritten by Sony Classical and I was delighted that Michelle Errante, my contact at Sony, came in from New York for the event.
From there I zipped up to Ravinia to catch the end of Jonathan Biss' recital at the Martin, where I met with Suzanne Ponsot from the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Suzanne and I met earlier in the day with the major donor to the IPO broadcast. After Jonathan's recital, we repaired to a nearby restaurant to meet and discuss the impending series. A few minutes into our discussion, in-walked pianist Jeffrey Siegel, just in from a performance at the Music Institute of Chicago. It turns out that Jeffrey and Suzanne are old friends, so the evening ended on a most convivial note.
Back to the Silk Road for a minute: last year, WFMT and the WFMT Radio Network produced a live broadcast of Yo-Yo's Orchestra Hall Silk Road performance. I was poking around his site the other day (www.yo-yoma.com) and discovered that the entire broadcast, hosted by Jan Weller and engineered by Eric, is available on-demand on the site! The fidelity is amazing and shows, among other things, how far audio has progressed on the Web. Does anyone remember realaudio 1.0? It sounded like short wave radio! (To find the broadcast, scroll all the way down the home page and you'll find it near the bottom.)
JEFFREY SIEGEL
On Wednesday, Jeffrey gave one of his patented Keyboard Conversation concerts at the Martin Theater. Jeffrey has been touring his “Keyboard Conversations” to over a dozen cities in the U.S. for over 25 years, including a series at Northwestern—this was his first “Keyboard Conversation” at Ravinia. His subject was the music of Robert Schumann and he gave his usual insightful lecture/performance, focusing mainly in Schumann's earlier works for the keyboard. Jeffrey is a fine pianist but I thought he outdid himself last Wednesday with a truly stellar performance.
CENTER ON HALSTED
Over the past few years, it's been my pleasure to host one-hour programs on behalf of Chicago area organizations that are engaged in capital campaigns. I've done them with the Music Institute of Chicago, Harris Theater and Merit School of Music. Several months ago I was introduced to people involved with a capital campaign for the Center on Halsted.
To quote from the Center's website (www.centeronhalsted.org): "To achieve this vision and create a place where people can come together to play, learn, and talk to one another, the Center’s mission is as follows:
In a safe and nurturing environment, the Center on Halsted serves as a catalyst for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender) community that links and provides community resources, and enriches life experiences."
Three aspects of the Center's campaign intrigued me. First, the new building they are constructing on Halsted is extraordinary for its openness, creative use of space and architectural beauty. Second, the building will contain a theater that the Center intends on utilizing for music and other performances on a constant basis. In fact, they've already formed a strong link with the Chicago Chamber Musicians. Third, unlike the three capital campaigns mentioned above, the Center was at the end of their campaign and was entering what they call their "public phase." I therefore thought it was a great opportunity for a radio program.
The program was produced by WFMT's program director, Peter Whorf, and aired on Saturday morning. My guests were Robbin Burr, executive director, and Robert Kohl, chair of the board. The program discussed the new building, the capital campaign and the cultural activities planned for the theater. Shortly after the program ended, I received two voicemails from listeners. Here are word for word transcripts:
"I've been going to the Center on Halsted since January and I must admit I'm a whole better, nicer, more wonderful person since I've been going there and I'm really pleased and surprised they are getting some mentions so thank you for taking the time. Even though I miss the music, I do think it's very, very important for the gay, lesbian, transgender community to get this kind of information out. So thank you very much for your time and consideration and your help...Lord knows we do need it."
Second call.
"I am a Fine Arts Circle member and I'm absolutely discouraged and disappointed at this program about the gay and lesbian center. We do not want to have our money on the Fine Arts membership funding this type of thing. You are offensive and disgraceful. You ought to stop this type of thing or we're going to withdraw financial support in a large way if you don't stop. That is an offensive program."
And so it goes...
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 06/14/2006 - 9:26am.
Sun-Times classical music critic, Wynne Delacoma, wrote her final column over the weekend. In it, Wynne recounts some of her favorite moments as a critic and points out some unfinished business in the local classical music scene.
We are excited that Wynne will be our next live chat guest on chicagoclassicalmusic.org on Wednesday, July 12th from 11 a.m. – noon. Mark your calendar and join us for what promises to be an interesting and lively conversation.
I'd like to do an informal survey today to find out what you think about this web site. I would love to hear from as many of you as possible, especially those of you who don't work for one of the partnering organizations. Please don't be shy about sharing your thoughts with the rest of this growing on-line community. Here are my questions:
What do you like best about chicagoclassicalmusic.org?
What needs improvement?
What content should be on this site that isn't on it now?
How did you find this site?
What would motivate you to more actively participate on the site?
Thanks in advance to all of you who respond. Next week we'll go back to our regularly scheduled "blog," when I try to draw a parallel between classical music and golf.
Until then, please use the comments function to share your thoughts on Chicago Classical Music.
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I am delighted to be blogging right now from the beautiful Melrose Hotel in Washington DC, where I am participating in the annual conference of Chorus America.
Founded in 1977, Chorus America serves professional, volunteer, children/youth, and symphony/opera choruses, providing information, publications, conferences, consulting, training programs, surveys, networking, and awards. Nearly 1,600 choruses, individuals, and businesses are members of Chorus America, including conductors, arts administrators, board members, singers, music business executives, and choral music lovers.
I was joined yesterday and today by Grant Park Chorus Director Christopher Bell, who is participating in his first Chorus America conference. Last evening Christopher and I had dinner at a lovely DC restaurant called Pallette with our wonderful colleagues from across the street, Duain Wolfe and Mark Rulison of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. While the atmosphere and lighting were great, the highly touted art collection didn’t do much for me, although I have to say I had a great meal. I highly recommend the red lentil soup!
Most exciting for us was that just today it was announced that the Grant Park Chorus won the prestigious Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence for 2006. This one-time award, which recognizes the late Miss Hillis for her more than 40 years of professional achievement and outstanding contributions to the choral art, is presented annually to an ensemble that demonstrates artistic excellence, a strong organizational structure, and a commitment to outreach, educational, and/or culturally diverse activities. In 2006 choruses with a core of professional singers were eligible and out of a prestigious pool of applicants, the Grant Park Chorus was chosen as the very best.
My sincere thanks goes to Chorus America for bestowing this great honor upon our organization. And, of course, a huge debt of gratitude should be paid to our own Chorus Director Christopher Bell and the world-class singers of the Grant Park Chorus, who so deserve this great honor.
Don’t forget to come and hear what all the fuss is about. On June 23 and 24, the Grant Park Chorus sings Mozart’s Requiem at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, followed just the next week by Rachmaninoff’s Vespers on June 27 and 29 at St. Ignatius Church in Rogers Park. We’ll see you in the Park.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Wed, 06/07/2006 - 10:24am.
Last week many of us in the orchestra business gathered in Los Angeles for the annual American Symphony Orchestra League conference. This week’s blog is dedicated to sharing some of the highlights from the conference.
I attended a Los Angeles Philharmonic concert at the stunning and amazing Walt Disney Concert Hall last Wednesday night. Jim Palermo wrote a review of this event, so I will instead talk about the concert hall.
It is simply one of the finest performing arts venues I have ever set foot in. The flowing forms of the exterior express the swirling, ephemeral nature of music. It’s exciting to approach the building, to imagine what the interior holds in store for you.
And the interior does not disappoint. Frank Gehry delivers an interior space that is both as grand as the music performed within its walls, and imbued with a sense of egalitarianism. Every seat is close, every person is important to the success of the performance. Musicians and audience literally share the space. Music becomes a communal celebration at this remarkable concert hall.
The next morning saw most of the attendees reconvening at the Disney for the opening session of the conference.
After opening comments by Henry Fogel, ASOL CEO, and others, composer John Williams was honored for his career and told a wonderful story about going to Steven Spielberg’s home to see “Schindler’s List” in rough cut form.
At the end of the film, Williams asked Spielberg to give him a few minutes to compose himself before starting the meeting. After walking around the grounds, Williams sat down with Spielberg and said, “Steven, I am the wrong composer for this film.” Spielberg replied, “I know you are, but all of the right ones are dead.” This story seems indicative of John Williams’ self-deprecating humor. Isn’t it nice when the stars are down to earth?
The opening session ended with a remarkable speech by opera and theater director, Peter Sellars, that asked orchestras to rethink and expand their role in our world. I couldn’t possibly capture the essence of his speech in the little bit of space I have here, but hear that the ASOL soon will offer it as a downloadable file so that others can hear what he said, and how he said it.
Much, much more took place including some wonderful workshops, meetings with our fellow orchestra managers, and some stimulating discussions. The bottom line? Orchestras, by and large, are doing pretty well and the future seems promising.
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