Page 715 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book

“In keeping with the digital times we live in,” publicist Grace Filmer reports, “the Royal
Liverpool Philharmonic does not produce printed programs. All the program material is
available online, consisting of interactive multimedia elements and Behind the Music videos
about specific pieces, and is usually released about a week prior to the concert. Within the
biographies we produce, we try to include at least one YouTube video embedded into the
program notes to provide more color about a composer’s work or a soloist’s performance
style.”

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, which made the transition to all-digital programs at the
beginning of the 2021–22 season, stresses that making artists’ bios more dynamic was
implicit on a digital platform. “Program notes, photos, artist biographies, and other content
contained in programs make for a more deeply engaging experience,” chief patron
development officer Lindsey Hansen tells me. “And while this content is meaningful, it can
be provided digitally, and programs do not need to be in printed format to have significant
impact.” The orchestra even attaches QR codes to armrests in their concert venues so patrons
can quickly access the digital program by scanning the code.

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“We encourage audience members to access the program on their mobile devices during
performances, and we remind them at the beginning of each concert to double check that their
devices are silenced. We have not experienced an increase in phones ringing during concerts
since the transition to digital programs, and our audiences have largely embraced this shift
away from printed programs.”

One of those moving at a slower pace is the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, for whom printed
program books are part of an overall artistic experience. Its public relations director Eric
Dundon tells me that the SLSO has put more effort in connecting its program books to digital
content but says that their program books have not changed much over the past few years.
“We find program books are still quite relevant. They’re accessible to anyone, whether or not
they have a mobile device. Our music director Stéphane Denève often speaks about how we
are an overstimulated society. He says that orchestra concerts are a unique opportunity to
have a more present, less distracted experience. Printed program books extend that
experience.”

Sometimes printed material still makes an appearance online due to the enthusiasm of
concertgoers. At Carnegie Hall, which also continues to provide printed programs for each
concert, chief communications officer Synneve Carlino says that “concertgoers tell us they
value having the printed program. Many audience members and artists say they keep the
printed programs as personal keepsakes. One trend we’ve noticed with Broadway attendees
and music audiences is people taking photos of their program for social media. We love it
when people share with their friends that they are enjoying a Carnegie Hall concert.”