Macon Magazine

MACON CONCERT ASSOCIATION: ONE OF THE CITY'S OLDEST ARTS ORGANIZATIONS CURATES PERFORMANCES THAT EMBRACE AND ENTHRALL BY TRACI BURNS "LIFE WITHOUT MUSIC IS UNTHINKABLE. Music without life is academic. at is why my contact with music is a total embrace," said famed American conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, who spent much of his life devoted to music education. His "Young People's Concerts," which aired on TV from 1958 to 1972, made classical music accessible and fascinating to a new generation. But well before then, a group of resourceful Americans devised a plan that enabled musical culture to enrich audiences all across the nation. In the early 1920s, access to radio and film whetted audience appetites for seeing live music, but, outside of a few major cities, travel costs meant that performances were rare. A revolutionary idea was hatched: smaller cities formed nonprofit arts organizations that raised money by selling yearly subscriptions to a concert series, then hired artists according to their available budget. us, the Organized Audience Plan – later to be established as a subsidiary of Columbia Artists Management, then renamed Community Concert Association – was born. ese ready-made audiences helped shape the face of the arts in America. By ensuring that artists would get paid and organizers wouldn't lose money, they successfully expanded performance venues throughout the country. Public enthusiasm led to the foundation of many local symphony orchestras and theater troupes. is association was also an early pioneer in helping women gain entrepreneurial skills at a time when such opportunities were rare. Women held major roles throughout the enterprise and obtained invaluable experience in the areas of concert promoting and management. In 1933, the Macon Concert Association – then known as the Community Concert Association – was founded. As one of our area's oldest arts organizations, the Macon Concert Association has remained dedicated to continuing the tradition of bringing world- renowned classical music to an eager Middle Georgia audience. Performances range from chamber ensembles to recitalists to symphony orchestras, and concerts are presented in seasons, with four performances per season. Currently, there are about 80 yearly subscribers, and individual tickets for most performances are available on a first come, first served basis. Wesleyan College is home to most of the Concert Association's events. Many are held in the historic, intimate Burden Parlor, which seats 80 and features a Steinway piano. Also used is Pierce Chapel, which seats 250, allowing for larger attendance. For even larger shows, Left: The program for Frederica Von Stade's 1974 peformance. She performed in Macon several times, always with pianist Martin Katz. Above: Edward Eikner, at left, in 2002 with the Kocian Quartet from Prague, Czech Republic. N N N 36 maconmagazine.com | APRIL/MAY 2020

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