Why Media?

Robert Levine wrote:

“Is it possible to measure the effect of “engaging the widest possible audience” on ticket sales in San Francisco, given that MTT was always a popular music director. Have ticket sales increased as a result of the media projects? Have the projects established the SFS as “providers of an exceptional classical music experience of a particular period of music or a composer,” or just established MTT as a Mahler specialist? Will the recognition that the projects have brought to the SFS outlast MTT’s tenure?”

My answer to some of these questions is that it is too early to tell. It’s true that MTT is a popular Music Director; however San Francisco has always drawn well in the Bay area, even before the MTT era. At the same time, we have not been immune to the drop-off in attendance in recent years, starting with the downturn in the market in the spring of 2001 and followed by 9/11. We have been slowly building these audiences again and one of the tools is our media activity. This is more than Mahler as we have several other initiatives and ongoing programs – local and weekly radio broadcasts of our concerts, special radio series (Mavericks on American Public Radio) and Keeping Score – a multi-platform project built around television, the web, radio and education. The programming for these activities is varied so it is not all about Mahler.

We have anecdotal information that these programs have inspired people to attend concerts and buy series but, until we survey our audience, we will not know for sure. What we do know is that, if we did not undertake these projects, potential patrons would have less of a chance to hear about us.

We have seen an effect on our touring – the media projects and especially the Mahler recordings have increased the demand for the orchestra nationally and internationally. We are currently on our way to Lucerne to close the Festival as part of a three-year series of residencies. We will perform three different and varied programs culminating in a performance of Mahler 8 on the last night. All our concerts there (not just the Mahler) have been sold out for some time – something that some of our colleague orchestras who have performed there this season have not enjoyed. The promotion for these concerts and for our other tour concerts ties the media into the tours, which creates a total package and greater interest in the institution.

As to the last question, I can only say that the products (the SACD/CDs, the DVDs) will be available long into the future and therefore, without speculating about when we will have a new Music Director, the answer is yes. Did the recognition the New York Philharmonic received over the recordings and Young People’s Concerts made with Bernstein outlast Bernstein’s tenure? Did New York’s standing as an orchestra decrease after Bernstein left and was succeeded by Boulez?