Introduction

The orchestra world is faced with a challenge to remain relevant in the future. The devastating effects of Covid-19 threaten to decimate the nonprofit arts and culture sector as we know it. According to the SMU Data Arts report In It for the Long Haul, “the field of nonprofit arts and culture is unlikely to return to its pre-COVID state for the foreseeable future, if ever.” There is no use in waiting for the world to “go back to normal”: orchestras need to keep pushing forward and adjusting to the new reality. Covid-19 has proven, yet again, that people are interested in classical music, that it can and should have a stronger online presence, and that it has the power to bring peace—especially in times of uncertainty.

Why Orchestras Should Leverage Technological Innovation

Covid-19 has forced arts organizations to radically shift their season planning as many went fully remote for the 2020-2021 season. For orchestras, this is a particularly difficult situation. First off, solely relying on free streaming may not be sustainable in the long term for orchestras’ finances. Additionally, union contracts pose an issue with streaming rights as many only delineate instructions for broadcasts or recordings, leaving online streaming out of the picture altogether. This would require orchestra managers to negotiate new terms for digital experiences.

Besides simulcasts, orchestras have made very few strides in utilizing technology to their advantage. American orchestras are lagging behind their peers as we enter the 21st year of the 21st century. For example, the League of American Orchestra's website seems especially outdated compared to its peers such as the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) or Opera America.

I believe that orchestras are capable of utilizing technology to further their missions and continue spreading the joy of music. Now that Covid-19 has shut down concert halls across the nation, orchestras have a unique opportunity to explore new, unique, and immersive opportunities in the digital space to engage their audiences.

There are several benefits to investing in the digital experience. First, digital performances often attract people beyond an institution’s core audience. Culture Track 2020 found that 36% of classical music respondents “who are using online cultural offerings had not physically visited the same kinds of cultural organizations in the past year.” Not only that, but more than half of Culture Track survey respondents reported participating in at least one digital cultural activity. While, according to Astrid Baumgardner, “technology is not a substitute for live events,” it is another channel that is a viable option to reach what some argue is a “huge and untapped…potential audience for classical music.” 

Examples of Digital Programming

Many institutions are already taking advantage of digital programming in some capacity. How can orchestras innovate the digital performance beyond just a livestream with a comment section? At the very least, orchestras can consider utilizing a solution such as Crowdcast (a platform that City of Asylum used for its 2020 Jazz Poetry Month) with a moderator or representative from the organization present, which could foster audience dialogue and interaction and allow for higher levels of engagement. 

Other performing arts organizations are experimenting with live, VR performances. Recently, LUMA, Tri-Cities Opera, and Opera Omaha presented a live VR/steampunk/murder mystery opera, titled "Miranda," in which the audience could look around the set and pick who they thought was the murderer. There were three ways to view the performance: two interactive modes (VR and gaming software) or watching the director's cut stream on YouTube. Nine, 20-minute performances streamed live between September 24-26, 2020. Although this opera did not necessarily hit the mark in terms of efficacy (one review deemed the performance a “brief and blatantly artificial experience”), it did offer a glimpse into a new type of offering. Orchestras could, for example, experiment with letting audience members explore backstage or walk amongst performing musicians through VR.

For-profit entertainment companies have seen success with the virtual world concept as well. There is no reason that orchestras could not also use this to their advantage. One notable example is Secret Sky, a virtual electronic dance music (EDM) festival that took place on May 5, 2020. This one-day festival’s first year was in 2019, but due to the coronavirus, it shifted to a fully virtual, free, fourteen-hour experience that streamed nineteen artists within a virtual platform built for the festival. The festival also streamed live on YouTube as DJs recorded themselves or their visuals from their homes. Audience members could explore the digital auditorium as a colorful scribble, dance to the music, and watch show visuals. The festival was massively successful, drawing more than 750 thousand attendees. Orchestras could experiment with building a virtual platform such as this that could also incorporate storytelling methods to allow attendees to learn more about the piece, music style, or composer in a fun and meaningful way.

Conclusion

Orchestras need to stake their place and assert their relevance in society. I envision a world where orchestras operate using “two stages”: one physical and one digital. Five year season plans will include a healthy mix of in-person and digital performances. Orchestras will focus on telling stories and expand beyond traditional mediums (i.e. quiet, stuffy concert halls). We need to differentiate ourselves in the digital space to stand out from the common options people reach for (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc.) as an enticing, free, or at least affordable option, and we can do that through innovation and experimentation with technology. By joining forces, the orchestra community can compete against other entertainment options as people are increasingly inundated with a plethora of leisure choices. Ultimately, we can and should utilize virtual “concert halls” to provide a novel experience, reach a wider audience, and tell stories in a new way.

Resources

American Alliance of Museums. “Home Page.” Accessed October 17, 2020. https://www.aam-us.org/.

Baumgardner, Astrid. “The Role of Technology in the Field of Classical Music,” February 10, 2012. https://music.yale.edu/2012/02/10/the-role-of-technology-in-the-field-of-classical-music.

Dreamwave. “Secret Sky Music Festival.” Accessed October 17, 2020. https://dreamwave.tech/secret-sky.

Gensher, Erik. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Numbers—Classical Music Content during the Pandemic: Anastasia Boudanoque.” CI to Eye. Accessed October 18, 2020. https://ideas.capacityinteractive.com/ci-to-eye-podcast-episodes/rock-n-roll-numbers-classical-music-content-during-the-pandemic-anastasia-boudanoque.

League of American Orchestras. “Home Page.” Accessed October 17, 2020. https://americanorchestras.org.

La Placa Cohen, and Slover Linett Audience Research. “Culture & Community In a Time of Crisis: A Special Edition of Culture Track,” July 2020. https://s28475.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CCTC-Key-Findings-from-Wave-1_9.29.pdf.

LUMA - America’s Premier Projection Arts Festival. “Miranda: A Steam Punk VR Experience.” Accessed October 18, 2020. https://lumafestival.com/feature/steampunk/.

“OPERA America | The National Opera Center.” Accessed October 18, 2020. https://www.operaamerica.org/.

Phillips, Maya. “Review: ‘Miranda’ Poses a Musical Mystery in Virtual Reality.” The New York Times, September 29, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/29/theater/review-miranda-virtual-reality.html.

SMU DataArts, and TRG Arts. “Arts and Cultural Organizations: In It for the Long Haul,” 2020. https://culturaldata.org/media/2087/longhaul-arts-2020-covid19.pdf.