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).