The Perilous Life of Symphony Orchestras: Artistic Triumphs and Economic Challenges

The second edition of The Nonprofit Sector provides a novel, comprehensive, cross-disciplinary perspective on nonprofit organizations and their role and function in society. This new, updated edition keeps pace with industry trends and advances as well as with the changing interests and needs of students, practitioners, and researchers. As before, every chapter has been written to stand on its own, providing sufficient background for the reader to follow the argument without referring to other chapters—allowing readers to selectively choose those chapters that are most relevant to a particular course, interest, or issue. 

The Nonprofit Sector: A Research Handbook includes twenty-seven new or updated chapters. Relevant chapters from the previous edition have been refined, and new chapters have been added to fill in gaps, making this the authoritative reference for all who want an accessible, perceptive, and all-inclusive rendering of the nonprofit sector. The contributors—prominent scholars in their respective fields—carefully reflect upon the variety of changes in the rapidly growing world of nonprofits, examining a wide array of organizations, international issues, social science theories, and philanthropic traditions and covering a broad range of topics including the history and scope of nonprofit activities in the United States and abroad, the relation of nonprofits to the marketplace, government-nonprofit issues, key activities of nonprofits, aspects of giving to and joining nonprofits, and nonprofit mission and governance. For anyone who wishes to have a deeper understanding of the nonprofit sector, this remains the essential guide.

From reviews of the first edition:

"[This book] is the closest thing to a 'bible' of nonprofit sector research and state-of-the-art social science knowledge as currently exists."—Dennis R. Young, Public Administration Review

"Invaluable to anyone currently engaged in research or policy decisions involving nonprofit organizations or, for that matter, considering becoming involved.”—Jerald Schiff, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management

"An exceptionally useful resource.”—Mark D. Hughes, The Philanthropist

andquot;Read the book, no matter how much you may not like what it has to say. Orchestras canandrsquo;t afford to ignore the issues it raises.andquot;

andmdash;Jesse Rosen, Symphony Magazine

andldquo;This important and readable volume demonstrates the underlying disconnect between artistic achievement and economic reality facing the professional symphony orchestra.and#160; Its careful analysis, based on extensive data, lays out the ground, including relentlessly rising costs and ageing audiences, for concern for the future of this vital cultural activity in the U.S. and elsewhere. It is a volume not to be missed by anyone concerned with tomorrowandrsquo;s state of the arts.andrdquo;andmdash;William Baumol, The Cost Disease

"[The Perilous Life of Symphony Orchestras] provides a crucial discussion of international models of financing and supporting orchestras, drawing vital comparisons between America's preference for private philanthropy and the state funded models elsewhereand#8230; Flanagan delivers informed commentary on the challenges facing labour-intensive, productivity-limited symphony orchestras with a straightforward 19th century institution in a 21st century economy with unflinching clarityand#8230; fascinating and insightfuland#8230;"and#8212;Michael Quinn, Classical Music

“Valuable reading for those interested in the survival of symphony orchestras.”—Choice Michael Quinn - Classical Music

andldquo;Valuable reading for those interested in the survival of symphony orchestras.andrdquo;andmdash;Choice

This book analyzes the economic challenges facing symphony orchestras and contrasts the experience of orchestras in the United States (where there is little direct government support) and abroad (where governments typically provide large direct subsidies). Robert J. Flanagan explains the tension between artistic excellence and financial jeopardy that confronts most symphony orchestras. He analyzes three complementary strategies for addressing orchestrasand#8217; economic challengesand#8212;raising performance revenues, slowing the growth of performance expenses, and increasing nonperformance incomeand#8212;and demonstrates that none of the three strategies alone is likely to provide economic security for orchestras.

Walter W. Powell is professor of education and (by courtesy) organizational behavior, sociology, and communications at Stanford University. He is also an external faculty member at the Santa Fe Institute. Richard Steinberg is professor of economics, philanthropic studies, and public affairs at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis.