Statement from National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu
Today we learned that the President’s FY 2018 budget blueprint proposes the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts. We are disappointed because we see our funding actively making a difference with individuals of all ages in thousands of communities, large, small, urban and rural, and in every Congressional District in the nation.
We understand that the President’s budget request is a first step in a very long budget process; as part of that process we are working with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to prepare information they have requested. At this time, the NEA continues to operate as usual and will do so until a new budget is enacted by Congress.
We expect this news to be an active topic of discussion among individuals and organizations that advocate for the arts. As a federal government agency, the NEA cannot engage in advocacy, either directly or indirectly. We will, however, continue our practice of educating about the NEA’s vital role in serving our nation’s communities.
It has been overspending by $2-3 million a year for a decade.
When the Berlin Philharmonic selected a successor to Sir Simon Rattle two years ago, the players shortlisted the three most successful conductors in Germany, judged by their summer performances in Bayreuth.
Kirill Petrenko defeated Christian Thielemann in a close ballot. The third man, Andris Nelsons, picked up the Gewandhaus orchestra and Boston Symphony as runner-up prizes.
All agreed that the orchestra had gone about the search in the most musical possible way.
When the New York Philharmonic needed to replace Alan Gilbert as music director, the players were presented with a choice of Jaap Van Zweden of Dallas and Manfred Honeck of Pittsburgh.
Neither ranked among the rainmakers in US orchestras. The buzz conductors – Dudamel (LA), Muti (Chicago), Nezet-Seguin (Philadelphia) and Nelsons (Boston) – were not auditioned.
This was not a musical process.
However, when it came to picking a manager for the floundering NY Phil, the board went unerringly after the best orchestra boss in America – and yesterday got her.
What does that tell you about the NY Phil? That it prizes a great manager above a great conductor.
Adrineh Simonian was a prominent singer at the Vienna Volksoper from 2001 to 2014.
She sang Carmen, Cherubino, Donna Elvira and most of the frontline mezzo-soprano roles.
Then she changed career.
For the past year, Adrineh has been directing what she calls ‘experimental feminist porn films’.
Attendance at operas and concerts showed a slight dip in 2016, from 3.1 million to 3.05.
But the overall picture, released today, is impressive.
The Berlin Philharmonic sold almost quarter of a million tickets, at 91 percent of capacity.
The Konzerthas sold 150,000 seats.
Of the three opera houses, the Deutsche Oper played to 238,000 people (67%), the Komische Oper 192,000 (81%) and the Staatsoper, temporarily in the Schillertheater to 175,000 (83%).
As predicted, the US budget plan announced yesterday proposes to abolish four cultural funding agencies. They are the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Will Congress show any heart for the arts?
There’s time still to call your elected representatives.
