<<  -- 6 --  Howard Smith    A CHANGING LANDSCAPE

HS: In many countries orchestras must rely less on State finance and more and more on businesses and private benefactors. As they do in America. Is this also true in Russia ?

EB: Yes it is. While a few Moscow orchestras, such as the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, the Radio Orchestra and some others receive grants from President Putin's administration, many Moscow orchestras rely largely on sponsorships.

HS: How large is a typical administrative staff?

EB: It varies from orchestra to orchestra, but a typical administrative staff is between one and twenty. If the orchestra needs to promote itself then personnel is required for advertising, ticket sales and fundraising. Typically there's an administrative director, a staff administrator, a librarian, an assistant librarian, stage managers and of course, the Intendant. Our orchestra's staff is not that large because we are part of the Moscow Philharmonic Society and they promote all our concerts and sell the tickets.

HS: What is the greatest change in musical life since the fall of Communism?

EB: The collapse of the music schools and the fact that so many teachers left Russia to teach abroad. Many of them did not return and their places have not been filled.

As a result we suffer at the moment from a dearth of good young string players. The music schools have no governmental support and thus it's no longer certain we can rely on them to provide the next generation of players.

At the moment I feel the profession of a musician is out of fashion in Russia.