tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7277951.post-45958849764673155682007-07-05T12:08:00.000+01:002007-07-05T13:06:02.085+01:00Orchestras in Britain don't make a lot of money. It's been said that you have to love music to be a classical musician: you'll probably earn more doing pretty much any other job. <br /><br />The financial difficulties of classical music are reported around the world, but in America there still seems to be more money sloshing - the orchestral players are more comfortably paid, and they have larger admin departments to run things. What I didn't realise is quite how much the people running the orchestra are taking home.<br /><br />The Chicago Tribune <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-0703salariesjul03,1,2470012.story?coll=chi-leisuretempo-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true">reports</a> that the most successful orchestra boss is Deborah Borda, executive director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, who received an amazing $1.3million in 2004-5. Other Big Five Orchestra bosses have salaries around the $400k - $700k mark.<br /><br />Mind you, these executives have the difficult task of holding the collection tin out to businesses and wealthy individuals, but can raise $10m or more each year. And it seems that hiring the right candidate is <a href="http://www.artsjournal.com/adaptistration/archives/2006/11/the_executive_s_1.html">hit and miss</a> that when you find a star you want to be sure to keep him/her.<br /><br />But, really, is the business person who guides the orchestra really worth that much more than the tremendously talented musicians on stage?Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03947223933075833456noreply@blogger.com