In an era when newspapers are laying off critics, many classical music organizations are proving to be more innovative and resilient than ever. The critic's traditional role, on the other hand - to experience a performance and report on that experience - has not changed much since the 19th century.What should the purpose of a contemporary music critic be? Should he provide a context for the reader, placing the repertoire into a historical framework? Should she report on her own opinion of new work, and if so, what should her background be? What kind of expertise should we expect? And what is the overall purpose of a music review: to report on culture in the community, to drive audiences to (or away from) certain performances, to provide an outlet for the critic's erudition?
Camerata Pacifica wants your thoughts and input! Over the next 6 weeks, we'll be hosting a discussion here in the Listener Forum. On April 14, we'll be hosting a Martini Club event at Roy in Santa Barbara. The topic of the evening will be the same - what is the music critic's role in the 21st century? Moderated by board member David Robertson, panelists will include NancyBell Coe from Music Academy of the West, Andrea Moore from Camerata Pacifica, oboist Nicholas Daniel and Charles Donelan from the Santa Barbara Independent. We hope to see you there, and to hear from you in the meantime.
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