Detroit Gets In Touch With Its Inner American

Promoters of new American music have long decried the reluctance of stateside ensembles to put their homegrown talent front and center, ahead of overplayed European masterworks. But in Detroit, this is looking like a distinctly American season. “It’s not clear why American music is suddenly taking center stage, though there is some evidence that local classical music leaders are beginning to connect the dots between contemporary music, revitalizing the largely staid repertoire and appealing to a wider audience.”

TIFF Looking For More Largesse

The board of the Toronto International Film Festival needs to step up the level of its donations, and convince more members of the community to join them. “TIFF certainly has an international cachet that makes Canada’s other arts institutions salivate with envy… [But] with a third of the $196-million fundraising target for the new festival headquarters outstanding, the pressure on board members to deliver has never been so intense.”

Pittsburgh Symphony Enters A Pivotal Year

The Pittsburgh Symphony has has financial difficulties in recent years. It’s waiting for a new music director, and it’s about to negotiate on a difficult new contract with its musicians. Still, ticket sales that are their best since 1998-99, and last fall got a $29.5 million pledge from the Richard Simmons family, the fifth-largest gift to an American orchestra. “The truth is, the 2007-08 season that starts this month could go a long way toward determining whether the organization can maintain the stride of a first-rate orchestra or fall behind.”