How not to sell your orchestra
mainMessage just in from the Concertgebouworkest PR, an infrequent communicant:
!Contact.Engelse_Aanhef_brief__c},
Attached you will find the press release about the fact that Unesco has granted patronage to RCO meets Europe.
Kind regards,
What’s wrong with this?
1 It assumes that we know (or care) about RCO meets Europe.
2 It assumes we don’t know (or care) that Unesco is a discredited bureaucracy of no cultural merit.
3 It does nothing to persuade anyone of sound mind to open the attachment.
Binned.
Must be time for another list of world’s worst classical PRs. Any new nominations?
The tragedy of the KCO is that it is a world top orchestra but led by an incompetent management. Which, for instance, appeared when they had to organize the last jubilee of the orchestra, sprinkled with gaffes (of which Andriessen’s commissioned jubilee piece fell completely flat, leaving players and conductor exasperated – embarrassingly filmed on national TV).
Is that why Jansons left?
Not sure, but that is indeed my suspicion.
I’m guessing they haven’t programmed any of your works recently, then?
Indeed, but that means nothing…. since I am not active in Holland. Should I relate how they quarrelled with Haitink around their jubilee, or their forgetfullness concerning their first concertmaster for many years who has meanwhile developed into an internationally-renown conductor but whom they forgot to invite even for the jubilee’s reception? But that is tradition – in the past, the orchestra sometimes was booked at two different venues on the same night by its management… etc. etc. It seems to be like a jewelry shop run by confused grocers. Poor players!
Has _anyone_ programmed your works recently, John?
Dallas Symphony Orchestra, March 2016
https://www.mydso.com/buy/tickets/beethovens-fifth
Oh yes…. But even if my stuff were completely ignored, that would not have changed anything in verifiable observations. 2 + 2 = always 4 if you think through the process, irrespective of who is claiming it.
1 It assumes that we know (or care) about RCO meets Europe.
Your readers might care if you took the trouble to read the press release, even if it is ineptly distributed.
2 It assumes we don’t know (or care) that Unesco is a discredited bureaucracy of no cultural merit.
I must admit that I did not know that. Not that I believe it.
3 It does nothing to persuade anyone of sound mind to open the attachment.
Especially if they got out of the wrong side of bed.
From the press release…
In her grant letter, Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, states that the initiative is ‘in line with UNESCO’s mission’, since the tour promotes intercultural respect and a ‘culture of peace’. She is confident that the concert series will also help ‘keep alive Europe’s musical heritage and pass it on to future generations’.
This is a specific reference to Side by Side, a special aspect of the tour which involves the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra performing the opening work on the programme with a local youth orchestra in each country. Through its collaboration with young musicians and a diverse audience, the orchestra hopes to encourage a dialogue between all the different European cultures.
So, a perfectly sane and admirable initiative, which deserves excellent publicity and thoughtful marketing by an alert management.
Details of the 2016 concerts here:
https://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/en/visit-a-concert/special=RCO%20meets%20Europe
starting in Dublin on 27th August.