Annual Report 2006 - Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Innovating“At a recent concert in Detroit, giant images of the performers flashed acrossscreens above the stage. It wasn’t a U2 show. It was the Detroit SymphonyOrchestra playing Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings.”— Wall Street JournalThe Detroit Symphony Orchestra is an acknowledged leader in thelocal arts community as well as on the larger, international stage.Continuing to embrace and promote innovation in 2005-06, the DSOunveiled initiatives designed to engage patrons in non-traditional formats, buildaudiences, celebrate and promote diversity within the orchestral field, and toembrace consumer trends through new utilization of technologies.Brand new in 2005-06 werethe Classics Unmasked concerts,employing large video screens andgiving Detroit audiences an insider’sview of the onstage action. Patronsfollowed the signals of the conductorfrom the musicians’ point of view, andwitnessed the intense concentrationand reaction times of the playersthrough large-scale live images.Creating a less formal environmentthan a traditional concert, visitingAn Unplugged Open Rehearsal with Itzhak Perlmanconductors and artists spoke from thestage and interacted with patrons atpre- and post-concert receptions andevents. This experience offered insightinto works including Copland’s LincolnPortrait, Haydn’s Symphony No. 103,Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony,and Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on aTheme by Thomas Tallis.A new open rehearsal series, DSO:Unplugged provided audiences witha true behind-the-scenes perspectiveon how a concertprogram isartistically finetuned.Patronswere able toobserve theworking stylesof such greatartists as ItzhakPerlman, Midori,JoAnn Falleta andothers, as theycommunicatedThomas Wilkins conducts the first Unmasked concertSir Roger Norrington conducts anUnmasked concert“With symphoniesin our countrystruggling toconnect withtheir audiences,it was inspiringfor me to see anorchestra that hasbeen so successfulin forging meaningful and lastingrelationships with its community. TheDetroit Symphony has made musicalexcellence and community engagementthe priorities of its mission, and thathas borne wonderful artistic fruit.I had the pleasure of conducting an‘Unmasked’ concert – what a superband innovative way to create newfriends for this great orchestra. It wastremendous fun as well!” —JoAnn Falletta, Conductor“As a 35-yearconcertgoer, I’mexcited to see theyoung, very diverseand accomplishedpopulation ofMidtown Detroitin our establishments. That’s theaudience I saw at ‘Unplugged,’ kidswho are our customers. The DSO isreaching out to new people who arenot already subscribers, and providingthe next generation with a valuableintroduction to Orchestra Hall.”— Joe Zainea, President &Co-Owner, Majestic TheaterCenter