ATLANTA'S OUTLIERS | A long-time supporter explains "World-Class" | September 10, 2014
Imagine for a moment an individual who is known around the world for undisputed excellence in what he does. He routinely wins major awards, and his colleagues, fans, and even his critics recognize his signature style. His achievements have been documented and recorded and are relived regularly by fans and aficionados in his field. The finest talent in the world, both young and old, wants to work with him. He is, to quote Malcolm Gladwell, an “outlier.”
Before Gladwell, we might well have described such a person as “world-class” talent or a “world-class” achiever. Despite general overuse of the term (commonly misused to describe the merely good), it nevertheless retains its validity when used to describe the highest echelons of talent and achievement. Think Warren Buffett, Stephen Hawking, LeBron James…
And it is absolutely accurate to describe the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus as world-class.
Despite the fact that many Atlantans are unaware of the golden reputation of our resident orchestra and its stunning chorus, there is no lack of respect for the ASO among music fans throughout America and around the world. The Orchestra and Chorus are heard on classical radio around the world (and the internet) as much or more than just about anyone not named Yo-Yo. The ASO’s albums have won no fewer than 27 Grammy awards, including several which are numbered among the finest performances ever recorded of famous works for orchestra and chorus. Who recorded the world’s first commercial digital CD? That’s right, the ASO (Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, released in 1983).
And speaking of Yo-Yo Ma, where will you find him and other world-famous artists such as Joshua Bell, Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax and Garrick Ohlsson? Working on stage with the ASO, year after year, both in Atlanta Symphony Hall and at venues such as Carnegie Hall, where the ASO is one of the few groups invited back to perform repeatedly. Others must pay for that privilege.
Why do the finest artists in the world want to work with the best orchestras in the world? The individual skills of the virtuoso musicians on stage are certainly a factor, but even more important is the unparalleled collaborative ability of great orchestras: the finely-honed, almost telepathic skill of thinking, hearing, breathing and moving as one. To stick with one of the great ensembles, a musician must bring to work a combination of individual instrumental achievement and incredible ensemble consciousness, every single day. This is not something that can be accomplished on a part-time basis. If it could, every town would have a fabulous orchestra.
The head of the renowned Aspen Music Festival, Alan Fletcher, comments, “A world-class orchestra has real character. It doesn’t sound like any other. If knowledgeable people listened to recordings and then were asked to name the orchestra that was playing, they would most often get it right. That kind of distinctive sound comes from musicians who trust and understand the conductor and each other. There is no great orchestra without a feeling of community on stage. It takes time for orchestras to develop a distinctive character and sound. An orchestra is more than a collection of superbly trained musicians; it develops cohesion over time.” (http://www.orchestrateexcellence.org/world-class-orchestra/)
Over the past 40+ years, Robert Shaw, Yoel Levi and Robert Spano, with the help of those in the community who believed, built a world-class orchestra like that right here in Atlanta. The significance of this achievement cannot be understated. This is every bit as impressive as it would be for the Falcons or the Braves to have won 20 championships during that time. As monumental as the accomplishment of bringing the Olympics to Atlanta in 1996 was, bringing the incredible musicians of the ASO here to live, thrive, and artistically enrich this community for many years has had a far more important impact on the area over a much longer time.
Why is this story all but unknown to many in the Atlanta area? It often seems as though our local stewards of the arts are happy to take the self-defeating approach of hiding possibly the brightest light in Atlanta under a bushel, when they should instead be treating the ASO as a crown gem of the Woodruff Arts Center and the City of Atlanta, and a benefit to the community at large far beyond the Orchestra’s ardent fans. Outliers attract and inspire other outliers, creating a positive feedback loop with benefits for everyone.
There is no need to imagine “world-class” in Atlanta. It is already here, and has been for around 40 years. The name it goes by: The Musicians of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
Imagine for a moment an individual who is known around the world for undisputed excellence in what he does. He routinely wins major awards, and his colleagues, fans, and even his critics recognize his signature style. His achievements have been documented and recorded and are relived regularly by fans and aficionados in his field. The finest talent in the world, both young and old, wants to work with him. He is, to quote Malcolm Gladwell, an “outlier.”
Before Gladwell, we might well have described such a person as “world-class” talent or a “world-class” achiever. Despite general overuse of the term (commonly misused to describe the merely good), it nevertheless retains its validity when used to describe the highest echelons of talent and achievement. Think Warren Buffett, Stephen Hawking, LeBron James…
And it is absolutely accurate to describe the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus as world-class.
Despite the fact that many Atlantans are unaware of the golden reputation of our resident orchestra and its stunning chorus, there is no lack of respect for the ASO among music fans throughout America and around the world. The Orchestra and Chorus are heard on classical radio around the world (and the internet) as much or more than just about anyone not named Yo-Yo. The ASO’s albums have won no fewer than 27 Grammy awards, including several which are numbered among the finest performances ever recorded of famous works for orchestra and chorus. Who recorded the world’s first commercial digital CD? That’s right, the ASO (Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, released in 1983).
And speaking of Yo-Yo Ma, where will you find him and other world-famous artists such as Joshua Bell, Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax and Garrick Ohlsson? Working on stage with the ASO, year after year, both in Atlanta Symphony Hall and at venues such as Carnegie Hall, where the ASO is one of the few groups invited back to perform repeatedly. Others must pay for that privilege.
Why do the finest artists in the world want to work with the best orchestras in the world? The individual skills of the virtuoso musicians on stage are certainly a factor, but even more important is the unparalleled collaborative ability of great orchestras: the finely-honed, almost telepathic skill of thinking, hearing, breathing and moving as one. To stick with one of the great ensembles, a musician must bring to work a combination of individual instrumental achievement and incredible ensemble consciousness, every single day. This is not something that can be accomplished on a part-time basis. If it could, every town would have a fabulous orchestra.
The head of the renowned Aspen Music Festival, Alan Fletcher, comments, “A world-class orchestra has real character. It doesn’t sound like any other. If knowledgeable people listened to recordings and then were asked to name the orchestra that was playing, they would most often get it right. That kind of distinctive sound comes from musicians who trust and understand the conductor and each other. There is no great orchestra without a feeling of community on stage. It takes time for orchestras to develop a distinctive character and sound. An orchestra is more than a collection of superbly trained musicians; it develops cohesion over time.” (http://www.orchestrateexcellence.org/world-class-orchestra/)
Over the past 40+ years, Robert Shaw, Yoel Levi and Robert Spano, with the help of those in the community who believed, built a world-class orchestra like that right here in Atlanta. The significance of this achievement cannot be understated. This is every bit as impressive as it would be for the Falcons or the Braves to have won 20 championships during that time. As monumental as the accomplishment of bringing the Olympics to Atlanta in 1996 was, bringing the incredible musicians of the ASO here to live, thrive, and artistically enrich this community for many years has had a far more important impact on the area over a much longer time.
Why is this story all but unknown to many in the Atlanta area? It often seems as though our local stewards of the arts are happy to take the self-defeating approach of hiding possibly the brightest light in Atlanta under a bushel, when they should instead be treating the ASO as a crown gem of the Woodruff Arts Center and the City of Atlanta, and a benefit to the community at large far beyond the Orchestra’s ardent fans. Outliers attract and inspire other outliers, creating a positive feedback loop with benefits for everyone.
There is no need to imagine “world-class” in Atlanta. It is already here, and has been for around 40 years. The name it goes by: The Musicians of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.