JACOBS: Hire more female conductors
Orchestral music evokes imagery of high class living for some and mind-numbing boredom for others. Mozart’s serene melodies don’t typically capture the interest of millennials as successfully as Taylor Swift or Kanye West’s catchy tunes. Professional orchestras seem stuck in the past and have not uncovered the proper recipe to appeal to younger individuals. Although their inability to adapt to young people’s demands may limit their long-term viability, the way in which orchestras have failed to progress towards welcoming women as leaders is even more problematic. As many Americans continue to fight for the equal rights and opportunities of women, American orchestras seem horrendously disconnected from society. Women still rarely serve as the conductors of the United States’ major, world-renowned orchestras (although they do at the University and in the Charlottesville Symphony).