Editing Orchestra (section)

===Recent trends in the United States===
In the United States, the late 20th&nbsp;century saw a crisis of funding and support for orchestras. The size and cost of a symphony orchestra, compared to the size of the base of supporters, became an issue that struck at the core of the institution. Few orchestras could fill auditoriums, and the time-honored season-subscription system became increasingly anachronistic, as more and more listeners would buy tickets on an ''ad-hoc'' basis for individual events. Orchestral endowments and — more centrally to the daily operation of American orchestras — orchestral donors have seen investment portfolios shrink, or produce lower yields, reducing the ability of donors to contribute; further, there has been a trend toward donors finding other social causes more compelling. While government funding is less central to American than European orchestras, cuts in such funding are still significant for American ensembles. Finally, the drastic drop in revenues from recording, related to changes in the recording industry itself, began a period of change that has yet to reach its conclusion.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

U.S. orchestras that have gone into [[Chapter 11&nbsp;bankruptcy]] include the [[Philadelphia Orchestra]] (April&nbsp;2011), and the [[Louisville Orchestra]] (December&nbsp;2010); orchestras that have gone into [[Chapter 7&nbsp;bankruptcy]] and have ceased operations include the Northwest Chamber Orchestra in 2006, the Honolulu Orchestra in March&nbsp;2011, the [[New Mexico Symphony Orchestra]] in April 2011, and the [[Syracuse Symphony]] in June&nbsp;2011. The Festival of Orchestras in Orlando, Florida, ceased operations at the end of March&nbsp;2011.

One source of financial difficulties that received notice and criticism was high salaries for music directors of US orchestras,<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Cooper |date=13 June 2015 |title=Ronald Wilford, manager of legendary maestros, dies at 87 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/arts/music/ronald-wilford-manager-of-legendary-maestros-dies-at-87.html |access-date=11 July 2015}}</ref> which led several high-profile conductors to take pay cuts in recent years.<ref>{{cite news |first=Zachary |last=Lewis |date=24 March 2009 |title=Cleveland Orchestra plans 'deep' cuts; Welser-Most takes pay cut |newspaper=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]] |url=http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2009/03/cleveland_orchestra_plans_deep.html |access-date=11 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Donna |last=Perlmutter |date=21 August 2011 |title=He conducts himself well through crises |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-aug-21-la-ca-leonard-slatkin-20110821-story.html |access-date=11 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Graydon |last=Royce |date=9 May 2014 |title=Osmo Vänskä hires on to rebuild Minnesota Orchestra |newspaper=[[Minneapolis Star-Tribune]] |url=http://www.startribune.com/april-25-osmo-vnsk-hires-on-to-rebuild-orchestra/256589871/ |access-date=11 July 2015}}</ref> Music administrators such as [[Michael Tilson Thomas]] and [[Esa-Pekka Salonen]] argued that new music, new means of presenting it, and a renewed relationship with the community could revitalize the symphony orchestra. The American critic [[Greg Sandow]] has argued in detail that orchestras must revise their approach to music, performance, the concert experience, marketing, public relations, community involvement, and presentation to bring them in line with the expectations of 21st&nbsp;century audiences immersed in popular culture.

It is not uncommon for contemporary composers to use unconventional instruments, including various synthesizers, to achieve desired effects. Many, however, find more conventional orchestral configuration to provide better possibilities for color and depth. Composers like [[John Adams (composer)|John Adams]] often employ Romantic-size orchestras, as in Adams' opera ''[[Nixon in China]]''; [[Philip Glass]] and others may be more free, yet still identify size-boundaries. Glass in particular has recently turned to conventional orchestras in works like the ''[[Cello Concerto No. 1 (Glass)|Concerto for Cello and Orchestra]]'' and the [[Violin Concerto No. 2 (Glass)|Violin Concerto No.&nbsp;2]].

Along with a decrease in funding, some U.S. orchestras have reduced their overall personnel, as well as the number of players appearing in performances. The reduced numbers in performance are usually confined to the [[string section]], since the numbers here have traditionally been flexible (as multiple players typically play from the same part).{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}