In recent times, we’ve often been asked whether the crisis has affected the MCO or threatened its mode of existence. The answer: Which of the many crises? In most countries, the economic crisis has just now reached the cultural sphere and has resulted in severe cuts all around. Budgets for independent artistic projects, which are often what finance invitations for guest orchestras, have been especially hard hit. In some countries, the crisis has weakened the local currency in comparison to the Euro, so that possibilities projects with local agencies have suffered.
At times the crisis seems to have extended to affect the sense of cultural policy, which cuts budgets drastically without financial necessity. Agencies which are financed privately or through donors experience the crisis no less acutely, sometimes even more severely, as promised contributions can suddenly be retracted.
The results are similar everything: it is becoming markedly more difficult for an independent orchestra to earn enough to survive. At the same time, it is almost impossible to find more donations or sponsors. Nowadays, festivals announce their programmes just months before they occur, and it’s becoming more and more difficult to plan tours which cover more than one country, because commitments are made at very different times in different places. Confirmations and contracts come much later; there’s a general sense of uncertainty, which in some places causes things to grind to a halt.
Thus it is now even more important to provide for the future. The residences in Ferrara and NRW have been extended, and the orchestra has a long-standing relationship with the Lucerne Festival, which means a stable foundation, State-funded orchestras have a home with a clearly defined political, economic, and social environment that helps to assure them stability; in contrast, the MCO has to create this for itself everywhere.
It is our vision to establish networks and participate in existing ones. To develop a network of residences that grant the orchestra rehearsal periods and opportunities for many additional projects, and that want to be the staging ground for exciting artistic projects. For instance, opera performances can only be produced through concentrated cooperation. A great number of agencies belong to this network of potential MCO hosts: in the 2010/ 11 season, the orchestra travels to 40 locations and performs over 70 concerts.
And the orchestra has already laid the artistic groundwork: we have a truly international network of conductors, soloists and orchestral musicians which unites many first-class renowned artists.
We also wish to continue developing the similarly international and mobile network of the Friends of the MCO with the help of Web 2.0 as well as through tried-and-true personal contact.
A further tool in assisting us to secure our future is the MCO Foundation, founded two years ago, which help us establish a top-notch circle of patrons. This circle will help us realise unusual, reputation-building projects which cannot be financed by the production budget alone.
Our goal must be to be able to initiate and offer special artistic programmes independent of the economic means of the production agencies. We would like a network of firms and patrons that would help the orchestra secure its existence.
Along with these goals, we are working on building a network for training orchestral musicians. This coming season, we will be adding projects in Japan and Brazil to our list of outreach projects, which includes cooperation with the Orchesterzenturm|NRW in Dortmund and earlier initiatives with the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra. This, too, will prove a reputation-building and forward-looking project, with which the MCO hopes to have a positive influence on international orchestral culture.
These plans will help the MCO continue on the path laid out at its founding: to thrive as an independent orchestra and to follow the dictates of art through an organizational structure which aims to create exceptional concert experiences at the highest level. The general requirements of culture are not becoming any easier to meet – thus, now more than ever, each and every person who loves music is invited to become a part of our journey: as a musician, a presenter, a supporter, or as a listener.
