Opportunities for the Development of International Cooperation for Professional Orchestras

Research purpose. Due to the COVID pandemic, the culture and leisure industries were affected by many restrictions and canceled projects and events. Possibly cultural sector is one of the most affected by COVID-19 and one of the latest to recover from the pandemic restrictions (Radermecker, 2020). This situation changed not only the consumption habits of the cultural events attendees’ but also stopped many projects, both national and international forcing cultural institutions, including the sector of professional music, to find new solutions for concert activities locally and new possibilities for development. The orchestra RĪGA used this time to review the area of international cooperation and to find out how to look effectively for partners abroad. The purpose of the study is to determine how the professional orchestras can identify potential partner countries and which aspects should be taken into account in order to ensure sustainable and successful international cooperation in the field of classical music. Design / Methodology / Approach. The study used empirical research methods: questionnaires and in-depth interviews, as well as modeling on international cooperation on the basis of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. In total 149 musicians of three Latvian professional orchestras took part in the survey. Five in-depth interviews with the musicians with international experience and orchestra managers were conducted. Findings. Intercultural differences must be considered to promote international cooperation, so the authors conclude that with the help of Gert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory, it is possible to assess the potential cooperation opportunities and threats of countries by comparing them. After in-depth interviews with experts and the analysis of the survey, it can be concluded that all respondents emphasize the need to develop a strategy for the promotion of international cooperation for Latvian professional orchestras. The results of the questionnaire show that the musicians of all 3 Orchestras consider that specific countries of international cooperation were named - Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Germany, which is in line with expert advice and the results of Hofstede’s 6-dimensional analysis. Originality / Value / Practical implications. Based on the research, both empirical and theoretical, a model for international cooperation for professional orchestra was developed. The model consists of 3 aspects – existing cooperation on the city-level (partner-cities), countries which are closer to Latvia in according to Hofstede’s 6-dimension model and personal contacts of musicians and music managers.