Who are you calling MOR?

Monday's Independent ran an attack on the Royal Festival Hall's programme. Here, the South Bank Centre's chief executive, Michael Lynch, hits back

What a narrow view Annette Morreau takes of the Royal Festival Hall ("Is the RFH too MOR?").

The South Bank is the best centre for the arts in the world because of the very diversity of its programme which Annette Morreau denigrates. The Royal Festival Hall has always presented a wide-ranging programme – just as much Sinatra and Hendrix as Stravinsky and Toscanini. There continues to be a place for Meltdown, La Linea, and the London Jazz Festival. We present the occasional musical, and ballet will be returning at Christmas.

Classical music remains 60 per cent of the programme. Arts Council research shows we have the biggest audience for classical music and have increased that share. But this includes new audiences whose response to their experience may not always conform to Ms Morreau's desired concert etiquette.

Quality and diversity is also increasing. Where else would you find in one year three composer festivals of such quality and innovation as Magnus Lindberg, Louis Andriessen, or Gyorgy Kurtag? The "Prokoviev and Shostakovich Under Stalin" series was acclaimed – next year Berio and Birtwistle.

Our two orchestras provide the bedrock of our classical programme alongside noted associate ensembles. and this is supported by an imaginative education programme. The "visiting orchestras" to which Annette Morreau refers number among the finest in the world. The Kirov Opera received a rave review from Ms. Morreau. Clearly not a MOR experience for her!

Did she find the recitals by Pollini, Kissin, Barenboim, Brendel and Uchida in the International Piano series too MOR? Was it the Early Music Weekend, the organ recitals, or concerts by the Contemporary Music Network which she founded?

On the South Bank board Robert Saxton is by no means a lone voice for classical music – we also have Glyndebourne's Sir George Christie, the New York-based conductor and businessman Gil Kaplan and the critic and writer Anthony Holden.

Southbank magazine covers reflect the range of art we present. Apart from Jessye Norman, they recently featured Vladimir Ashkenazy, Magdalena Kozena and the London Philharmonic's A Soldier's Tale.

Our concern for our classical music audiences and performers is reflected in the emphasis we are putting on improving the auditorium and acoustics. We will be improving back-stage and technical facilities to facilitate a broad-based, top quality, programme. Diversity at the Royal Festival Hall is certainly not synonymous with "middle of the road".