Ford Foundation's 1966 Orchestra Grants Criticized as Misguided Philanthropy
In a significant piece featured on ArtsJournal, the writer examines the enduring impact of the Ford Foundation's $80.2 million funding for American orchestras in 1966, which sought to provide musicians with a 'living wage.' While this initiative resulted in extended seasons and contracts, it also triggered an imbalance where supply outstripped demand, leading orchestras to focus more on fundraising than on artistic integrity. Between 1960 and 2000, the New York Philharmonic's budget surged from $2 million to $34 million, and the Boston Symphony's development team grew from 17 to 29 members. The author contrasts this with the Detroit Symphony during Paul Paray's tenure (1952-1963) and highlights a conductor's concern about the excessive workload of tenured players. The essay wraps up by contemplating 'social acceleration' and the necessity for musicians to reclaim their autonomy.
Key facts
- The Ford Foundation in 1966 granted $80.2 million (about $830 million today) to American orchestras.
- The grants aimed to ensure a 'living wage' for orchestral musicians by guaranteeing full-time employment.
- The outcome was lengthened symphonic seasons, with contracts for 40 weeks or more.
- The author argues that the grants led to a crisis of concert supply outstripping demand.
- The New York Philharmonic's budget grew from $2 million to $34 million between 1960 and 2000.
- The Boston Symphony's development staff grew from 17 to 29 in the final decades of the 20th century.
- Paul Paray conducted the Detroit Symphony from 1952 to 1963, known for its French style.
- A 1959 live Detroit Symphony performance of Mahler's Fifth under Paray is cited as the fastest and most memorable.
- The author suggests the Ford money should have been spent to pay musicians more per service.
- The essay cites a notable American conductor's complaint that tenured players are 'over-worked and no longer love music.'
- German sociologist Hartmut Rosa's concept of 'social acceleration' is referenced.
- The author taught at the Manhattan School of Music and shares an anecdote about a bassoonist's response.
Entities
Artists
- Paul Paray
- Kenneth Woods
- Mischa Mischakoff
- Yevgeny Mravinsky
- Tscho Theissing
- Larry Tamburri
- Hartmut Rosa
Institutions
- Ford Foundation
- Detroit Symphony
- New York Philharmonic
- Boston Symphony
- South Dakota Symphony
- Manhattan School of Music
- New Jersey Symphony
- Leningrad Philharmonic
- NBC Symphony
- Philadelphia Orchestra
Locations
- Detroit
- United States
- New York
- Boston
- Philadelphia
- Minneapolis
- South Dakota
- Vienna
- Leningrad