Tradition Is Not Working
There is a clash between tradition and the necessary evolution for survival. Any enduring art — opera included — must breathe and adapt. The current audience culture, at least in my recent experience at Memorial Hall’s Matinée Musicale, seems policed by an older guard. In my opinion, this risks turning the art form into a beautiful, but unsustainable, museum piece.
Challenging the “Sacred Silence” and Audience Policy
To the parents of the adorable young girl sitting near us: I see you, and I applaud you. You came to this event to enjoy a fantastic performance, and you chose to expose your beautiful child to the majesty of a wonderful lyric coloratura mezzo-soprano recital by Megan Moore. Brava / bravo! You came prepared with quiet toys and sound-dampening headphones for your daughter, which shows sensitivity to both your daughter and respect for the performer and the audience.
I wholeheartedly say that there should be a whole auditorium full of young children experiencing performances like these, if we want opera to continue to thrive and inspire for coming generations. Will there be wiggling in seats? Yes. Will there be dropped toys? Yes. Will there be parents who step out mid-performance with their child to give them a break and reset? Yes! Will it matter? NO!
What will matter is how the old guard reacts to it. The cliquish talking behind patrons’ backs must stop. This is not a museum. This is living, breathing art.
The Problem with the “Museum Guard” Culture
The current culture risks turning the art form into a beautiful, but unsustainable, museum piece. In a museum, staff act as guards who strictly enforce the distance between the audience and the preserved artifact. Yet, opera is meant to be a living, breathing experience. The organization’s leadership must decide if their role is to be a host who welcomes and encourages engagement, or a guard who polices and scrutinizes.
When board members prioritize policing behavior—like reading a patron’s notes over their shoulder and tapping them to demand they stop —they intimidate and exclude. This act of scrutiny kills the very enthusiasm needed for long-term survival. We are not merely viewing a static exhibit; patrons are attempting to engage more deeply, whether by a family respectfully introducing a child to the music or an adult discreetly taking notes to become an ambassador for the performance. The goal should not be sacred silence and distance, but vibrant, respectful participation.
My own experience at this incredible recital was disappointing. As a new season subscriber, I was anxious to take notes during the performance, so that I could share them on the blog that I maintain for IPA Source.
During the afternoon performance, the house lights remained completely up. Instructions were given to silence mobile devices and not to record the performance. There were no other policies mentioned, and none printed in the program. We were seated in a box at the very back of the theatre. There was no one behind me when we were seated.
I was occasionally taking notes for my blog post on my mobile device, strictly adhering to the policy of not recording the performance and keeping my sound off. I was not using social media, texting, or watching videos. Despite the house lights being completely up, my partner alerted me that an individual had placed a chair directly behind me and was reading my notes over my shoulder. Shortly thereafter, this individual — identified as a board member — tapped me and instructed me to stop, stating I was distracting her. Following this interruption, she also remarked on how disruptive the small child was to the performance. This active policing of both my silent notetaking and the respectful presence of a future audience member demonstrates the exclusionary culture at work. The entire experience of this “welcoming committee” reduced my enjoyment of an otherwise amazing performance.
Cincinnati Symphony better understands its audience. Patrons at the symphony are now invited to use mobile devices during performances, provided they are in dark mode and silent, and that we are not recording the performance or taking photographs. In this decade, most of us now take notes on our mobile devices. Why should we not be welcomed to do this discreetly so that we may more deeply engage with a performance? Had the house lights been dimmed, I would have set my phone to dark mode to take my notes.
Is it Matinée Musicale’s intention to preserve these performances only for the enjoyment of the old guard, and those who abide by ancient audience policies? I certainly hope not.
Bridging the Generational Leadership Gap
The composition of an organization’s leadership dictates its openness to change. Boards who are full of members who value maintaining the status quo (aka “we’ve always done it this way”) create a stagnation point.
I challenge arts boards, including the one managing Matinée Musicale, to aggressively diversify, not just demographically, but generationally and professionally. Bringing in younger patrons, tech-savvy leaders, and those who understand new media and modern consumer behavior is essential. A business model that alienates demographics, generations, and professionals is fundamentally unsound. Future success should be measured by audience growth, average patron age, and successful community outreach programs. Boards like the board of Matinée Musicale have a fiduciary duty to ensure the long-term viability of the program. Just because Matinée Musicale has funding from the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund does not grant the board permission to be blind to its audience.
A Call to Action
I encourage arts organizations to take a hard look at how they are engaging with their audiences. Things that might be included in that audit:
- Create a Future Audience Task Force
- Conduct a mandatory review of all audience-facing policies
- Encourage attendance by children and adults of all ages, and welcome them
It is time to ditch the museum.
I am offering my experience and the family with the young daughter’s experience as case studies that demonstrate exclusionary culture. This is a critique of a system that allows exclusionary culture to thrive. And it’s time that comes to an end.