Tag Archives: budget

Cleveland Orchestra Achieves Balanced Budget

For the first time since 2015, the Cleveland Orchestra ended its 2019 fiscal year in the black, with a surplus of $24,000 on its $53 million budget. The strong financial position this year is attributed to new trustees, a larger endowment draw, and a significant number of unrestricted bequests.

The orchestra’s endowment increased by $14.2 million, to a total of $205.7 million; the organization’s goal is an endowment of $350 million. In addition, average attendance hit a record high and single-ticket sales increased 6.1%. The Cleveland Orchestra also consistently draws a young audience, with 20% under 25 years of age.

Cleveland Orchestra musicians are members of Local 4 (Cleveland, OH).

Saskatoon Symphony Balances Budget

The Saskatoon Symphony announced at the end of May that it has balanced its budget for the first time in decades. Through its “Share in the Future” fundraising campaign, the orchestra succeeded in raising $300,000 to eliminate its deficit. The Frank and Ellen Remai Foundation played a large part in the success, matching donations toward the campaign. Saskatoon Symphony musicians are members of Local 553 (Saskatoon, SK).

Buffalo Phil Plans Tour Abroad

In March 2018, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) will embark on its first overseas tour since 1988, traveling to Poland for four concerts and several master classes by BPO brass and percussion ensembles. The centerpiece of the tour will be a performance at the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw.

BPO Music Director JoAnn Falletta will be the first woman to conduct at that festival. She has programmed works by American composers and by Krzystof Penderecki, in celebration of his 85th birthday.

“The opportunity to tour Poland at the invitation of the Beethoven Easter Festival will be a transformative artistic benchmark in the history of our Buffalo Philharmonic,” says Falletta, a member of Local 125 (Norfolk, VA). “We are very proud to be able to represent Buffalo and Western New York at the festival.”

BPO has announced that attendance increased by 11.5% in the 2016-2017 season, with more than 212,000 adults and children experiencing its concerts. With a budget of $11.6 million,  the orchestra gives 129 performances during its 38-week season. BPO musicians are members of Local 92 (Buffalo, NY).

Oregon Symphony Balances Budget

Oregon Symphony balanced its budget for an eighth consecutive year in the 2016-2017 season, while increasing the number of concerts it performed by 20%. The orchestra increased its total ticket revenue by 21% and saw an 18% increase in the number of seats sold. Both subscription revenue and single-ticket revenue grew compared to the previous season, and 30% of the season’s concerts were sold out. First-time buyers accounted for 26% of all tickets sold—a 12% increase over the previous season.

In addition, the orchestra expanded its education and community engagement efforts in the 2016-2017 season, increasing programming by 4% and reaching 19% more people. The orchestra’s annual free Waterfront Concert, a daylong music festival featuring performances by area arts groups, drew 15,000 attendees.

Oregon Symphony musicians are members of Local 99 (Portland, OR).

How to Record at Home on a Budget

How to Record at Home on a Budget

How to Record at Home on a BudgetIt’s never been easier to record at home, but it still requires some know-how. This book covers equipment—digital audio workstations, standalone digital recorders, and mobile devices; the use of effects; plus mixing and editing. It provides tips on acoustics for rooms and guides for recording instruments and vocals. It also gives access to more than 330 recordings (through an Internet link) demonstrating concepts and techniques.

How to Record at Home on a Budget, by Chad Johnson,
Hal Leonard Corporation, www.halleonard.com.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Balances Budget

cincinnatiCincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announced that it balanced its budget for the sixth consecutive time in fiscal year 2014. Concert attendance for the 2013-2014 season continued an upward trend, increasing by 4%; individual gifts to the annual fund rose by 7% to $2.6 million; and corporate donations rose by 30%. CSO’s endowment is at its all-time high, $114 million. With all of these successes, CSO is close to eliminating its longtime structural deficit, which was $6.5 million in 2009 and is now down to $500,000.

Cincinnati is the smallest US city to support a year-round orchestra. CSO believes its innovative new projects have helped to secure donations and expose the orchestra to new audiences. Lumenocity, a festival of symphonic performances and digital-light displays, was held for the second year last summer, and CSO debuted the MusicNOW festival during the 2013-2014 season, featuring symphonic music, alternative rock, and world premieres.  The musicians’ contract expires in September, and the orchestra anticipates restoring 14 of the 23 tenure-track vacancies that currently exist within future seasons.