Diversity in orchestras ...

[Jeebo]

I watch a lot of YouTube videos of classical music performances. One thing I keep noticing is that the orchestras are almost entirely white people (or Asian people in Asian orchestras). Nobody ever comments on that; am I the only person who notices? Almost never is a black person in that orchestra. Somewhere on YouTube there's even a video of a Vienna Philharmonic performance with Leonard Bernstein conducting in which every single person in the orchestra is an older white male. Not a single woman in that orchestra.

Are these orchestras deliberately or unconsciously practicing racism, or is this just a cultural thing because black people as a group don't particularly like classical music and therefore tend not to practice and perform it, or, what is the reason for this? Any theories, y'all?

-- Ron

[elleng]

1. The Vienna Philharmonic didn't accept women until 1997.

That year, harpist Anna Lelkes became the first official female member of the orchestra.

[wryter2000]

2. Harp

The only instrument women were allowed to play in a symphony orchestra. They’re a collective, and the members didn’t allow women. I hope they’ve gotten better. My favorite orchestra, sadly.

[wryter2000]

3. Bias in auditions

People see whatever white men do as better. I understand some orchestras have instituted blind auditions where the musicians are only heard and not seen. You see a lot more women these days but only white and Asian.

I imagine the bias starts way earlier, though, with non white kids not encouraged to play classical music. I imagine there’s a huge difference by economic class, too.

[Ocelot II]

4. This family is a good start, but there's no question that classical music is pretty white.

The Metropolitan Opera just (finally!) produced an opera, Fire Shut Up In My Bones, by a Black composer, Terence Blanchard. I saw the HD live performance and it was spectacular.

[MuseRider]

5. My orchestra,

that I was forced to resign from this year because of my health, has been doing blind auditions for a very long time. I know because I was the room monitor who makes certain nobody knows anything about the person auditioning but me. I don't know how many years I did that, 20 maybe and likely more. Played for a very long time.

While before we were mostly white men we are now a good mix with as many women and maybe a few more in some years than men. As for the rest, the ages are different with a wide range and the races are pretty mixed but still there are more white people than anyone else. We have had black players over the years but to be honest, not very many audition. I can't say why but the usual reasons are likely the culprit, but I know for a fact there is no discrimination going on at least during the auditions.