In his May 28 essay, Kozinn challenged doomsayers on the future of the art form and wrote, "there is immensely more classical music on offer now, both in concerts and on recordings, than there was in what nostalgists think of as the golden era of classics in America."

He also stressed the importance of the Internet as a new resource for classical music, in terms of both disseminating information and attracting new listeners. Gramophone says that this was one of the main topics at the conference, called "New Visions for New Times."

ArtsJournal.com founder and editor Douglas McLennan moderated a panel on Internet recording that included representatives from orchestras in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Milwaukee; Universal Classics; Independent Online Distribution Alliance; and the American Federation of Musicians.

Laura Brownell, AFM's director of symphonic services, told PlaybillArts that a contract covering the online distribution of live concert recordings will hopefully be negotiated this fall. A separate agreement currently pending ratification covers the production of CDs from live concert tapes. "Convergence of the two agreements might be a topic of discussion. The business relationships evolve as the technology changes," she said.

The ASOL was founded in 1942 to provide leadership and other services to American orchestras; it links a national network of musicians, conductors, administrators, board members, volunteers, staff members and business partners.