Are there too many orchestras in Britain?

The UK is musically rich country, with literally hundreds of professional orchestras, ensembles and smaller chamber groups.  Add to that the sheer number of amateur orchestras and choral societies and the number grows exponentially.  Music students from all over the world flock to the numerous British conservatoires, and the concert scene, especially in London, is arguably one of the richest and most diverse in the world. 

Yet the state of funding for the arts in the UK could be driving us toward a state of artistic poverty.  Arts council funding for 2011/2012 has been reduced by £19.1m, even more than the previous year, with over 200 organisations losing their funding.  British orchestras form a large contingent of those suffering from the cuts. 

It is no surprise therefore that many musicians will suffer in the coming months and years.  Living costs are set to rise again, many energy suppliers announcing  price rises of up to 19% this week, and with mortgage lenders becoming increasingly cautious getting on the property ladder has become a pipedream for many young musicians.

With the conservatoires admitting more and more students, and the orchestras being faced with more and more cuts, it stands to reason that matters can only get worse.  An orchestral vacancy may attract a few hundred applications for just one seat.  That number is set to increase. 

An increasing number of new orchestras and ensembles are formed by graduates and emergent musicians, only to fall by the wayside soon after.  Some, like the Aurora Orchestra succeed and flourish, but this is not the norm. 

If there is to be any kind of stability in the orchestral job market then the conservatoires and colleges need to re-assess their entry policies.  The current economic situation is testimony to the fact that there is simply not enough funding for the existing organisations, and with so many music graduates and so few jobs decisive action needs to be implemented much earlier down the musical food-chain.



Read the Guardian article on Arts Council funding here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/mar/30/arts-council-cuts-list-funding