Dear Chamber Music Lovers,
 
"Who Killed Classical Music?" - Norman Lebrecht
 
"Nobody!" - Colorado Springs concertgoers
 
From the headlines, you might think that Classical music is in serious trouble: orchestras dissolving, CD sales declining, radio stations changing formats etc. The real picture, however, is never that simple. Modern news thrives on ten-second sound bites that give an incomplete version of any story, and in the case of classical music, the media prefer juicy, doom-and-gloom headlines to positive news.

A few orchestras have dissolved in the past year. Boca Pops and the San Jose Symphony come to mind, and the latter is especially flabbergasting considering the affluent area they served. At the same time, far more orchestras have quietly and humbly begun operating. Most of them will survive and grow; the rest will get a headline. Nearly all indicators for American orchestras in the twenty years suggest growth, including an increase in younger subscribers, as young people search for something beyond the musical fast food hefted onto the public with multimillion-dollar ad campaigns.

It is also true that classical music CD sales have declined in the past few years. We could have seen that one coming. CDs don't break, scratch, or wear out. The Internet is becoming a viable music source. Major record labels have been slow to invest in new or rarely heard music, opting instead to re-record the same repertoire, to the collective yawn of the market. What the headlines don't show is that all recording sales dropped about 10% last year, that Classical music didn't drop as much as most other categories, and that many of the independent labels have grown by recording rare and new works. Independent distributions, excluded from most sales statistics, are doing fine.

Some classical radio stations have disappeared, but not because they weren't successful. In nearly every case, the classical format generated steady profit, but was changed in search of even bigger or easier profits. We don't hear enough about stations like our own KCME surviving for decades, serving the community, and creating excitement for the arts.

Right in the geographic middle of all this sits Colorado Springs: a gorgeous city with a thriving arts scene and one of the fastest growing Chamber Orchestras in America. The Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, now celebrating its 21st Anniversary Season, plays a critical role in the artistic life of our city. We are poised to grow even faster this year. Our board is carrying out new efforts to increase our audience. Our musicians are playing better than ever. As a concertgoer, you're already doing the most important thing - hearing this music - but you can help, too. Bring friends and neighbors. Help our community see that the arts offer an exciting exploration of humanity.

There is something remarkably universal about great music. It's impossible to put into words. I'm not so bold as to say that I truly know anything about God or the world beyond, but I know I never feel closer to understanding than when I'm in the presence of great music.
 
Thomas Wilson