Legendary maestro Leonard Slatkin provides personal insights and offers his ideas to solve the current dilemmas of classical music. As the new millennium poses some of the greatest challenges to the relevance of the art form, Slatkin reflects on the modern evolution of classical music and presents ways for both music lovers and musicians alike to navigate these uncertain times. Classical Crossroads: The Path Forward for Music in the 21st-Century addresses a wide range of relevant and provocative topics such as performance in the era of COVID-19, shrinking audiences, the lack of classical music in public education, broken audition systems, technology replacing live concerts, and the lack of diversity in the classical music world. While the new millennium has provided great obstacles, Slatkin emphasizes that there are also new opportunities-if there was ever a time for change in classical music, that time is now.
Internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin is Music Director Laureate of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Directeur Musical Honoraire of the Orchestre National de Lyon, and Conductor Laureate of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He maintains a rigorous schedule of guest conducting and is active as a composer, author, and educator. A six-time Grammy winner, Slatkin is a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and holds the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor.
Introduction 1. On Age 2. On Agents 3. On Audiences 4. On Composers 5. On Conducting 6. On Diversity 7. On Education 8. On Health 9. On Music Directors 10. On Nationalism 11. On Orchestral Identity 12. On Performance Practice 13. On Rehearsing 14. On Size 15. On Soloists 16. On Sound 17. On the Theater
Classical Crossroads is catnip for passionate fans of classical music who wish to know what really happens behind the scenes, how it's all organized, and where it may be headed. Any professional or aspiring artist can learn from the wealth of knowledge laid out in these pages, often spiced with humane, wry humor.--Garrick Ohlsson, Grammy Award-winning pianist, winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition Leonard Slatkin has become one of the strongest writers we have about today's music world. This book is a real document in splendidly clear and lively prose. Notable is his perceptive and sobering analysis of what permanent changes in musical life we all might expect post-COVID.--William Bolcom, Grammy Award-winning composer, National Medal of Arts, Pulitzer Prize Slatkin's version of the 'new' American orchestra is one that looks more like 'us', plays more music written by 'us', and is led by more of 'us'. Classical Crossroads is chock full of real-world wisdom and is refreshingly hopeful, even optimistic, about the forces that will lead us to the next chapter in American music--a deep love of the musical arts themselves.--Jeff Beal, five-time EMMY winner, American composer, House of Cards Leonard Slatkin has always been a most generous and sharing colleague. Classical Crossroads is truly an extension of his generosity, humor, insight, and immense experience. As a fellow American musician, Slatkin's direct approach and honest appraisals, balanced with his humility and humor, resonate deeply with me.--Marin Alsop, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
