The New York Philharmonics (Essay Sample)

The New York Philharmonics
Name of student
Institutional affiliation
Introduction
Human beings around the world are characterized by very different and diverse cultural practices. The world is rich in culture and diversity, and this has proven to be one of the most interesting aspects of life. I cannot really imagine how the world would be if all of us did things the same way. It would be a daily, monotonous routine without the sparkle of life brought in by diversity. Culture is an important aspect is giving an individual a sense of belonging, importance and identity. It is useful in instilling self-esteem and self-realization, because it makes a person identify his or her roots and focus on the future. However, there are various things that are common, though still take different forms, among different communities, countries and tribes. I this regard, one of the most outstanding fields is entertainment. Entertainment takes many forms; it may be through, but never limited to songs, dances, plays, sports or film. The intended result is always to keep the audience entertained and relieve the seriousness of life, something that all the above fields satisfy effectively. Entertainment traces its roots from the early stone ages when human beings were still living in the forests. In this case, the entertainment may have been a very different activity from what we see today, but the purpose was the same: to instill relaxation and ease tension within the society. The sector has since evolved significantly, and expansion and development is becoming inevitable. More and more forums are being created every day to entertain, the only difference being that it is turning to be a highly commercial sector. Previously, before civilization found its way to most parts of the world, paying for entertainment was never heard of. However, with a rapidly increasing world population and the struggle to earn a living, individuals are turning viable opportunities into real businesses.
Arts
One of the most advanced fields in the world of entertainment today is arts. Basing its growth on culture and the daily life experiences, the arts sector has grown and branched out immensely. Today, it is one of the largest attractions in entertainment to many people in the world, not to mention a source of income. Traditionally, arts were mainly known to consist of songs, paintings and dance. I believe it is way too different at the moment. The industry has grown extremely, with more and more fields coming into play. The film sector is one of the biggest introductions into the art industry. It is wide spread and popular around the world. It came as a real replacement to the hassle of visiting the theatre for live performances every time an individual is free. At the comfort of one’s own home, the same utility that could be derived from the theatre is available. This is fueled by the fact that we are quickly advancing to a totally digital world, which even necessitates the backing up of live performance on stage with technology. Museums have also come up in handy, to provide a forum where different aspects of culture are displayed. Museums involve paintings, artifacts, rich history and samples of the different factors of life. Initially, one would have had to travel to many parts of the country to observe the cultural preservations. Museums ensure that such is not the case, as they assemble culture in a central place, where answers and information can be sought. Art is a very important tool in the preservation of culture and history, as well as educating the community on the various aspects of life. Establishments have come up in many parts of the world to preserve culture through art. Their missions are different in that some are profit making organizations while others are non-profit making organizations. This paper focuses on one of the largest, non-profit making organizations in the US, and that is the New York Philharmonics.
The New York Philharmonics
The New York Philharmonics was established way back in 1842, and boasts of being the oldest symphonic institution in the United States. It is located in Lincoln Centre in the city of New York, and it uses the Avery Fisher Hall as its home. It is basically ranked one the big five American orchestras. Globally, it is commonly referred to by the name New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO). It first started as the Philharmonic Society of New York, with Ureli Corelli Hill being its founder. A very famous music composer at the time from Ireland, William Vincent Wallace, helped Hill in setting up the center. Its mission on launching, according to the founders, was to give support and create an audience for instrumental music, and see to it that it advances parallel to the other types of music. Hill appreciated the contribution of musical instrument to the whole music industry, and identified the need to develop a strategy to promote it in New York and elsewhere. He in fact led the first performance, a three hour show that was done before an audience of more than six hundred people in total. This first performance took place inside the Apollo Rooms, lower Broadway, on the seventh of December the same year. By then, the operation of the musicians was similar to that of a cooperative. All members were equal, and major decisions and proposals were passed through a popular vote.
Structure
As stated earlier, the New York Philharmonics started and operated as a cooperative society for several years. As its popularity began to rise and expansions became notable, it attracted sponsors from outside. A group of wealthy American citizens from New York formed the guarantors committee in 1909. The first step they took was changing the structure of the cooperative to that of a corporate management. Gustav Mahler was appointed as the first principal conductor, and he expanded the orchestra to a big extend. Stability was instilled in the group, and the salaries of all musicians were now guaranteed. This came as a big encouragement and attraction to other talented musicians. On the way, Philharmonics merged with other orchestras to expand in terms of geographical space and personnel. Notable among these is the 1921 merge with National Symphony Orchestra, still from New York. However, the biggest merger in the history of the New York Philharmonics came later in the year 1928, and this time it was with the New York Symphony Society. This merge registered a significant boost in terms of both financial and instrumental resources for both mergers. A post of president and a chairman was created, both of whom would be derived from both mergers; that is, each merger would produce a leader in which case, the one from the National Symphony Society would be the president of the merge, while the New York Philharmonics would produce the chairman of the merge. In 1940, radio broadcasts for the orchestra began as realization that financial resources were available hit the leaders. These broadcasts continued uninterrupted for the following thirty eight years. The orchestra has been headed by several music directors and supporting directors since then. Presently, there is a music director and an executive director, both of whom are the top cream in the leadership structure.
Financing
It is a basic requirement for any given institution to have a well-developed plan on how to meet its expenses, and the methods to mobilize funds in form of revenues. Profit making organizations often have the fee they charge their consumers for their products as the main source of their revenue. In the fee, they include the total costs of production and then the desired profits, net after overhead expenses. Being a non-profit making organization can be rather tricky. However, most of such organizations like the New York Philharmonics have lived up to the challenge, and have harmonized ways and means of funding their activities. Definitely, there is the fee that New York Philharmonics charges its audience, which forms a significant part of its yearly income. However, it is not enough for the daily smooth running of the organization, and for this reason, the institution does acquire funds from external sources. Such include gifts and funds from well-wishers country wide. Since 1909, the New York Philharmonics has had much of its finances coming from wealthy sponsors and the society in general. Part of the audience does pay extra cash when buying their tickets to the performances. Moreover, a lot of campaigns are being conducted through the internet and other forums to encourage donations to the institution. A good example of this is the ‘Make a Planned Gift’ initiative that is aimed at collecting more funds, equipment and other assets for the orchestra. In this program, people of all ages and from all walks of life can contribute to the orchestra’s kit. There are basically several options to consider as a donor, depending on age, financial capability and possessions. The planned gifts come in form of cash, instruments, estates or any other asset that will be beneficial to the orchestra and its community. These campaigns have kept the New York Philharmonic going for ages. They have also proved to be the better option as it seeks to expand its activities to schools around the country and the world at large.
Vision and mission
In 1842, when Hill organized the New York Philharmonic, he had a vision, which was to popularize the instrumental kind of music in the country, and create a forum where the members of the society who were fans of the music could get access to it. He further wanted to give an opportunity to the talented musicians in the society to showcase their talents, and even earn a living from it. Instrumental music, found extensively around the world, was popular at the time. It was indeed one of the most common types of music, but its growth and development required effort. This...