Some Burning Questions for the Arts in Cincinnati

Given that the economy has dealt the arts a body blow and survival seems to be the critical issue at the moment, there remain abundant ways arts organizations in Cincinnati could help themselves -- and equally as important, help each other.

A new concept? It’s more than just the Fine Arts Fund, which has already warned that it is expecting diminished returns this year. Arts groups could begin by simply connecting the dots. There is so much inter-linkage of people, programming, range of interest and mutual interest among the city’s arts providers. And yet turf wars, exclusivity, perceived spheres of influence, sacred cows, secrecy, insularity and even personal animosities seem to stifle what could be very fruitful cooperation and cross-promotion.

How do you market something anyway? Arousing people’s curiosity seems like a logical beginning and interest in one area readily translates to another. This concept has been grievously ignored by the Cincinnati Symphony with respect to its music director, Paavo Järvi. However, no arts group in town is exempt.

• Fact: Cincinnati Symphony music director Paavo Järvi is a native of Estonia (a small country on the Baltic Sea in the northeast corner of Europe). Why not let people know more about his background and heritage? For example, the CSO, despite having gone on two European tours since Järvi became music director in 2001, has never included Estonia on its itinerary.
• Question: How many members of the CSO family (musicians, staff, etc.) have even been to Estonia? Although the Sister City idea may be moribund, Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, fits Cincinnati as well or better than any with its German heritage, song festival tradition (Estonia's National Song Festival is the same age as the Cincinnati May Festival), abundance of music and culture, architecturally distinguished Old Town (given that theirs is medieval) and so on.
• Why hasn’t anyone in Cincinnati organized a trip to Estonia, one of the most beautiful and progressive of the former Soviet bloc countries? Hint: Estonia’s next Laulupidu (National Song Festival, a UNESCO World Heritage Event) takes place in July in Tallinn.
• Why hasn’t the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music brought a resident artist or composer from Estonia to Cincinnati?
• Why hasn’t Northern Kentucky University done so? NKU recently announced an “East of Northern” project to increase communication and exchange with Eastern European countries. Academic institutions have their own product to sell and could use greater synergy with the local arts community.

Regarding cross-promotion:

• Why did Cincinnati’s movie theaters fail to show “The Singing Revolution,” a documentary about Estonia’s bloodless struggle for freedom from the Soviet Union during the 1980s and 90s? The film has been held over in engagements throughout the U.S. and Cincinnati has an obvious Estonian connection. (Järvi’s sister Maarika was a classmate of the choir conductor prominently featured in the film.) Where were members of the CSO and staff (with a notable exception or two) when it was shown by Cincinnati World Cinema at the Cincinnati Art Museum in June? Why didn’t the CSO help promote it?
• Where was Cincinnati’s plentiful choral community when one of the world’s best choirs, the multi-Grammy-winning Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, sang at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in November? Again, except for Järvi who introduced the performers, virtually no members or representatives of the CSO attended, nor did the CSO attempt to help promote the event.
• Speaking of mutual interest, why doesn't the CSO get behind Cincinnati Ballet's effort to preserve live music for its performances? All for one and one for all.

Regarding turf and “spheres of influence”:

• Why are smaller choirs such as Cincinnati’s fine Vocal Arts Ensemble never invited to perform with the CSO?
• Should the abundant choral/orchestral repertoire be so jealously guarded by the May Festival?
• Why doesn't the CSO regularly perform in Kentucky? Its reach -- and therby its audience -- couold be far larger than it attempts to make it. Venue? Look for one, or else tailor the ensemble to what is available.
• Why is concert opera a rarity at the CSO? Historically, one of the most outstanding projects of this sort was led by CSO music director emeritus Jesus Lopez-Cobos, a concert performance of Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde" spread over Friday and Saturday at Music Hall in May, 1998. Dinner was served between acts II and III on Saturday, giving it a European festival-type ambience.

Regarding utilization of facilities:

• Why hasn't Cincinnati Opera, which has the ideal hall for the purpose in 3,500-seat, acousticallt splendid Music Hall, ever ventured to present Wagner's "Ring" cycle? The "Ring" (grandaddy, by the way, of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings") draws people from all over the world and stimulates the lecal economy wherever it is performed.
• It's way past time to get serious about Emery Theatre, now languishing at Walnut and Central Parkway downtown. This mid-sized hall was built for the CSO by none other than Leopold Stokowski, who had a gtood idea or two during his career. especially about sound. Emery, which was shortchanged when the Aronoff Center was built, could be used by numerous organizations in town looking for an alternative to over-sized Music Hall, or as an all-purpose venue in general. Perhaps it could be an Obama-style infrastructure project for Cincinnati.

Regarding utilization of talent:

• Why hasn’t the terrific jazz violinist Zach Brock, a native of Lexington, Kentucky from which Cincinnati could draw much better than it does, been invited to perform with the CSO or Cincinnati Pops?
• Why hasn’t the sensational classical/hip hop duo Black Violin, a big hit, as was Brock, on Linton Music’s “801 Plum Concert” Series, been invited to perform with the CSO or Pops? It’s time to loosen up.
• Why hasn’t the CSO enlisted some of its own formidable talent in raising awareness of itself – and likely making some money in the process? Prime example: CSO violinist Stacey Woolley, a gifted actor and comedian, who turned in one of the great performances of 2008 at former CSO president Steven Monder’s farewell event at Fifth Third Bank Arena at Riverbend in June. Give the CSO players an open mike show and see how the perceptions and coffers of the orchestra might rise.
• Finally, this may be heresy, but it may be time to consider the idea of merging some of the city’s arts organizations (May Festival /CSO? Cincinnati Opera/CSO?).