Tina Ward | Polyphonic.org - The Orchestra Musician Forum

Artistic Leadership in Orchestras, Part III: Conclusions

Aug 31 2006

In her third installment in the artistic leadership series, Tina presents the conclusions she reached during her study of 18 orchestras. She describes the leadership issues she encountered during the study from Music Directors, staff, trustees, and musicians, and suggests that orchestras should take a fresh look at their CBAs (collective bargaining agreements). Finally, she presents her findings from the European orchestras she studied and poses some challenges for American orchestras.

Aug 31 2006

In her second installment in the artistic leadership series, Tina poses several sets of intriguing “What If” questions that should spark some interesting conversations in your orchestra. In particular, she explores the issues of an orchestra’s identity in terms of vision, artistic quality, and programming. She raises some fairly radical ideas regarding personnel policies for the music director, musicians, and trustees. Finally, she presents three sets of professional development lists for musicians, staff, and trustees.

Aug 31 2006

During a hiatus from performing with the St. Louis Symphony, Tina Ward spent a year studying artistic leadership issues in 18 orchestras, with the support of the Mellon Foundation. Her three-part series explores a wide variety of topics impacting artistic decision-making.

The first installment examines the concept of an orchestra’s unique identity and its vision or mission statement. She explores the nature of artistic quality among her subject orchestras, and identifies limitations that are related to lack of finances and those that aren’t particularly impacted by money. Finally, she discusses the role of the different constituencies (music director, musicians, and trustees) in making programming and personnel decisions.

Mar 21 2006

Looking out at the audience during a performance and seeing lots of empty seats is a disheartening experience for any orchestral player. We’ve all heard that old adage about “the graying audience members,” but is it really so? Is there anything we as musicians can do to reverse this trend?

Tina Ward, a clarinetist with the Saint Louis Symphony, has been very active in her own orchestra as ICSOM delegate and has served on many orchestra committees. She was also an American Symphony Orchestra League (ASOL) Orchestra Management Fellow, which gives her a unique perspective on many aspects of orchestra life.

Tina offers her thoughts on what we musicians can do to improve the concert experience for the audience, in terms of employing audio-visual elements, making the concert more exciting for the audience, and enhancing the concert experience as a social event. Her lists of action items for orchestra musicians should instigate some lively conversations among your colleagues!

Author - Tina Ward

Artistic Leadership in Orchestras, Part III: Conclusions

Artistic Leadership in Orchestras, Part II: What If?

Artistic Leadership in Orchestras, Part I: Summary

Empty Seats – What Can We Do?