Detroit is in the forefront of bringing classical music "out of theaters and concert halls and putting it onto small screens" via high-definition webcasts at dso.org/live, The New York Times notes in an arts section lead article.
Perhaps unexpectedly, given the dire state of Detroit’s fortunes, the cutting edge for the phenomenon in this country lies here, where the Detroit Symphony Orchestra has the most ambitious free web-streaming program of any major American orchestra, as it looks online to help secure its future after surviving a bitter strike, the struggles of the auto industry and the bankruptcy of its city.
The orchestra now streams about 20 live concerts from Orchestra Hall here free each season. And it is getting an upgrade this week: six tiny new cameras, positioned around its restored 1919 hall and controlled remotely by a joystick in the basement. They will be used for the first time on Saturday night.
The DSO streams more free concerts than its U.S. counterparts. (DSO photo)
Reporter Michael Cooper speaks with music director Leonard Slatkin and DSO president/CEO Anne Parsons.
Detroit streams more than other American orchestras partly because the labor contract that settled its six-month strike in 2011, which cut the wages of musicians significantly, gave it the ability to stream its concerts, the orchestra said. It also received several major donations and the cooperation of Detroit Public Television to help get the program started.. . . .
Many music organizations say they believe such web streams will prove helpful, saying that they must find audiences where they are, in an era when sales of CDs and digital downloads are declining, and streaming services like Spotify and Pandora are growing rapidly. YouTube is now one of the world’s biggest music platforms, especially for young people.
