Crowds to blame for BSO's split personality

Back in the day, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra 's summer season at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall steered a fairly straight classical course.

[MrEd]

These concerts should be self supporting. If thousands of people will pay big bucks to see popular acts and make multi millionaires out of the artists, why should we be subsidizing other forms of entertainment. If there is no market for these concerts they should just go away. Those who like this music can purchase CD's or pay whatever it costs to attend the concerts.

[Leda]

Why to blame crowds? Blame the orchestra that doesn't have any personality to attract the crowd. Alsop's is boring and her programing is nothing but an "ego trip". She did not even have guts to bring good contemporary music to the city- only well established (and mostly uninspiring) who will be able to give her something in return. I am sorry, but Baltimore would be better off with someone a la Muti. He would at least attract more women to his concerts :). Even if they never heard of Ligeti, Birtwistle or Stockhausen.

[Clarke Bustard]

Virginia orchestras have a similar problem drawing crowds for classical music in warm weather.(Around here, crowds begin to thin after Easter.) Might this be due to proximity to water, and the tendency of upscale patrons to head there as soon as weather permits? Does this happen in other coastal or near-coastal arts towns? Seattle? Tampa-St. Petersburg? Houston? San Diego?