gigglemusic's score: Germany 636 - 67 England
Congratulations to Germany, though every professional and aspiring professional musician already knows that the greatest number of, and some of the best-paying, playing opportunities are to be found in Germany.
The numbers probably wouldn’t survive forensic scrutiny, but I’d like to think they’re statistically suggestive if not statistically significant. They’re probably Eurocentric, for a start, reflecting the way jobs are advertised and sought for in Europe. They include internships and academy positions (more on that soon). And the pandemic has interrupted our musical lives in different ways and at different times in each country.
Even so, you have to admit that Germany shows impressive form.
But then again…..you might want to look at the same data from a different perspective. Adjusted for population, for example:
Now Switzerland triumphs. And Lithuania and the Czech Republic do well.
Looking at the numbers adjusted for GDP (at Purchasing Power Parity) – and this must be the fairest measure:
The differences remain large, but they’ve evened out a little. The winners are the same lot, even so, and the UK, the USA and Spain, musically highly cultivated nations, don’t do well. [In the ideal world, If all were equally devoted to classical music, the graph might show no geographical decline.]
So what should we conclude?
That, for a start, assuming you’re not Swiss or German, you should cajole your government into spending more on music. But if you can’t wait that long (you really can’t), get a ticket for, or ride your bike to, Central Europe.
Opportunities on gigglemusic
Events on gigglemusic
We’re adding more and more events to gigglemusic as the pandemic recedes (at least in some parts of the world) and as venues open up. Use the app to search for events near you, filtering by event type, title, composer, and other options.
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You’ll find up-to-date schedules for:
Royal Albert Hall, London
Zurich Opera House
Victoria Hall, Geneva
Grand Theatre, Geneva
City Recital Hall, Sydney
The Sage, Newcastle
Lincoln Center, New York
Auckland Town Hall
Palau de la Música, Barcelona
Auditorio Nacional, Madrid
Teatro Real, Madrid
Hong Kong City Hall
Sydney Opera House
Kings Place, London
The London Coliseum
The Royal Opera House, London
Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Wigmore Hall, London
Bayreuth, Germany
Glyndebourne, Sussex
St Martin-in-the-Fields, London
St James’s, Piccadilly
New National Theatre, Tokyo
Leipzig Opera
1901 Arts Club, London
Bampton Opera
Cadogan Hall, London
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
St John’s, Smith Square, London
Purcell Room, Southbank, London
Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, London
Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London
St Ann’s, Manchester
State Opera, Vienna
West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge
Opera Holland Park, London
Sadler’s Wells, London
Teatro de la Maestranza, Seville
Palacio Euskeldana
Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Valencia
L’Auditori, Barcelona
Volksoper, Vienna
Opera Graz
Perth Concert Hall, Western Australia
Adelaide Festival
Atlanta Opera
Victoria Theatre, Singapore
Arena di Verona
Garsington Opera
Grange Park Opera
Buxton Festival
Auditorio Manuel de Falla, Granada
Teatro Zarzuela, Madrid
Teatro Monumental, Madrid
Snape Maltings
Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona
Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon
Longborough Opera
Nevill Holt Opera
Waterperry Opera
Opera North
Lichfield Festival
Hertfordshire Festival
Bergen Festival
Bath Festival
The English Music Festival
Adam Bager - Founder, gigglemusic
