Re your orchestra article (“An American Tragedy,” 7/12): I’ve read several articles of this type, articles of advocacy, and I’m bored of them. Personally, I’d be elated if orchestras updated their repertoire (I don’t go anymore because I’m tired of the same old thing; I would love to hear Schoenberg); but why push it for Washington, when the author himself admits that the audience is older and conservative, just the group that doesn’t want to be challenged? If NSO audiences wanted challenging music, they would have asked for it by now.

Give the people what they want. And an old rich audience doesn’t want the avant-garde. That should be acknowledged as axiomatic by now.

Annapolis, Md.