From an article about the 09-10 Baltimore Symphony Orchestra season:
Hence "BSO Under the Big Top" next March, which will transform the concert hall into a three-ring arena for one pops concert and three classical programs. The latter will include John Corigliano's third symphony, called "Circus Maximus," and an evening of concert operas by Barber and Gershwin and Stravinsky's ballet "Pulcinella" . . . the operas mark an interesting new collaboration; they will be performed by members of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program of the Washington National Opera.
Using young singers talented singers is a great PR move; they're relatively local, and cheap.
There's also a huge new perk for subscribers, who are already benefiting from the $25-$50 ticket prices which the orchestra is offering for a third consecutive year: free access to the Naxos Music Library. This online service, which usually costs $150 a year, makes available a catalogue of more than 30,000 CDs, with hundreds of new recordings added every month, for streaming on a home computer. The orchestra will create playlists corresponding to each concert; it will also make its own concerts available on-line through the service.
Playlists are a fantastic idea (provided patrons take advantage of them), and a great way to expose your audience to new music before you program it.
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