Scarlet Baker

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Abstract

For over one hundred years, orchestras around the world have conducted national and international tours, becoming a staple in the live classical music scene. Over this period, touring has been a consistent and integral part of an orchestra’s activities, evolving from its original purpose of sharing an orchestra’s sound to reach new audiences and increase ticket sales to becoming a platform with which to engage international communities, present artistic projects, increase the notoriety of an ensemble, and to foster humanitarian connections across the globe. Supporting such tours is a costly endeavor, asking orchestras worldwide to balance delicate financial structures against the costs of artistic projects. For some time, no orchestra has been able to cover the cost of its activities with ticket sales alone, and over time, the cost of producing art increases. Concurrently, statistics regarding orchestras and the performing arts sector continue to trend downwards worldwide, with audience engagement declining, reductions in subscription sales, cuts to government funding supporting education and organizational support, and contributed support fluctuating unpredictably. Nevertheless, orchestras embark on tours despite precarious financial conditions year after year. This project seeks to explore the rationale behind touring in such an environment, define the why’s and how’s of orchestra’s touring motives, compare and contrast the condition of organizational health in the United States and European region, determine if touring is a sustainable practice that will continue into the future, and identify overall challenges to orchestras and touring with suggestions for solutions.

Publication Date

7-1-2024

Campus

Valencia (Spain) Campus

Keywords

Orchestras, touring, international tours, live classical music, audience engagement, ticket sales, financial structures, organizational motives, consumer behavior, performing art

For the Love of Art: Orchestral Touring - An analysis of longevity, relevancy, and sustainability of orchestras and orchestral touring in the 21st century.

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