It Takes Informed Concert Programming

Like any type of business, developing, preparing, and presenting the product is the main goal. In terms of the symphony, the concert and the music being played at this concert is what your audience pays for.

Programming is dependent on consumer demand and market competition.

• Research must be done before selecting pieces to ensure that patrons will actually be interested in the particular genre that is to be performed and whether people would be willing to travel to your particular venue over competitors'.
• Even if there is a high demand for classical music in the surrounding area, symphonies must be sure to differentiate their concert programs from each other if there are multiple performing groups within a close radius. 

Developing the concert program requires contribution from:

• the music director
• the artistic planning department (if the organization is established enough to have one), and
• the performers (to some extent)

As shown in the San Jose Symphony study (also mentioned in a previous post: It Takes Awareness of the Demographic in the Region), differentiating their programming was not enough to attract sufficient patrons to their concerts. They failed to realize that the demand for classical music was high, but not high enough to  provide business to the very abundant supply of classical performances available in the Bay Area.

In other words, the San Jose Symphony was screwed regardless of the quality of their concert programming. One of their problems, in my opinion, was that they were not informed well enough about their audience preferences.

The organization thought that their audiences wanted to hear traditional classical music, but let's be honest, that's not always what the public majority wants. We are in an ever-changing market, and music is changing almost as rapidly as technology is. Most of us just want to hear newer compositions once in a while and we ce don't want to hear the "Mozart/Beethoven/Haydn Trinity" throughout every concert. Yes, works by the "Trinity" are essential once in a while. I would say that 1 piece by one of them in a 3 concert series is ideal, but one piece every concert is a bit much.

I have exceptions to my point, however, and one of them is for the symphony to hold a special concert that will be specifically marketed as a traditional Mozart, Beethoven, and/or Haydn classical feature (titled appropriately, of course). Another exception might be in the case of a composer's birthday concert where the symphony can just play a list of that composer's pieces.

That aside, the frequency in which a symphony performs a concert of traditional classical repertoire varies depending on the size of the symphony and how well established it is.


More funding = More concerts.


An example of one of these concerts, usually lasting between 1 hour and a half to 2 hours, might include:

• R. STRAUSS: Metamorphosen
• SCHUMANN: Cello Concerto
• BACH: Violin Concerto in E Major
• MOZART: Symphony No. 35: Haffner

Most symphonies also implement "Pops" concerts during holidays or other special events (such as fundraiser benefits), which include more well known/popular pieces that are relevant to the occasion.


Well that's it for now!

While you wait anxiously for my next blog post, tell me about your favorite concert program that you've experienced!

-Liz