Life in the Pit

Regarding the possibilities of replacing ballet pit orchestras with the VOM (“Virtual Orchestra Machine”) or other electronic devices: The New York City Ballet Orchestra has taken steps to keep the public aware that there are intelligent life forms in the pit by presenting pre-performance chamber music concerts at both our main theater at Lincoln Center and our summer home in Saratoga Springs. These have proved very popular and have substantially increased our public profile. I would encourage all pit orchestras to do the same.

At our last contract negotiation we tried unsuccessfully to get a contractual ban of the VOM. It was stated by management that, while they agreed with us in principal that electronic sound must never replace live musicians for our company, they were not willing to ban a technology that they might find some other use for, apart from replacing musicians. Of course, we made the point that the sole purpose of the VOM was to replace musicians, but, as I say, we did not get that guarantee, much to our displeasure.