Jon Johanning wrote:

>The Philadelphia Orchestra has announced that next year, in their
>centennial season, they will program exclusively 20th-century music
>(including a number of new commissions).

This is indeed good news.  I've gotten fed up with the war-horses
programmed by the Oregon Symphony in the last few years.  When they do 20th
century works, they have to put them in the middle of a program (with some
familiar classical or baroque favorite at the end) to keep most of the
audience around.  It's maddening.  Oh, I pine to hear some new music out
of this orchestra...  <sigh> It's as if they weren't even living in this
current decade!

What impact (financially or otherwise), do you suppose, this programming
will have on the Philly Orchestra? In Portland we don't seem to have
adventurous audiences, and I think the orchestra's board members know that;
hence, the more conservatie programming.  I'll be interested to see what
happens in Philly, and perhaps to see if any other orchestras follow suit.

-Lindsey Orcutt
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