The New York Times’ Anthony Tommasini writes about the importance of the arts to a community, specifically in post-911 New York City.
Anyone reflecting on the last decade in classical music would have to consider many developments. Some were expected, like the continuing decline in secure jobs for professional musicians; some were surprising, like the near-disappearance of the CD store (along with CDs themselves, it sometimes seems, as downloading increasingly takes hold).
But I keep coming back to the crisis of relevance that the events of 9/11 stirred. In retrospect, that challenge was beneficial. In a country where popular culture is omnipresent and powerful, opera companies, orchestras and chamber ensembles have to combat the perception that classical music is elitist and inaccessible. These issues had been developing years before 9/11.
In its aftermath many classical music artists and institutions found ways to respond. Maybe I am making too much of 9/11 as a prod to this self-examination and renewal. But what seems indisputable is that outreach and education programs have become central to the missions of many artists and institutions.
