Re: Truth and/or Consequences?


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Posted by Bud on April 17, 2003 at 21:29:39:

In Reply to: Truth and/or Consequences? posted by rumor monger on April 17, 2003 at 20:29:26:

S.A. will hear a silent symphony

By Mike Greenberg and Amy Dorsett
Express-News Staff Writers
04/17/2003 12:00 AM


The San Antonio Symphony will cut its current season a month short to
develop a "sustainable financial plan" for future seasons, according to
a statement issued Wednesday by its board of directors.

The board decision will put the 77-member orchestra on hiatus after the
concerts of May 2 and 3, the first subscription program to be conducted
by Larry Rachleff in his role as music director designate.

The symphony still is obligated to pay the orchestra for the remainder
of the season, Executive Director Steven R. Brosvik said. The season had
been scheduled to end June 7.

People holding tickets for the canceled concerts either may exchange
them at the box office for still-scheduled concerts through May 3 or
obtain receipts for charitable donations for tax purposes.

Brosvik couldn't say how much money the season curtailment would save.

Without shortening the season, the symphony faced a deficit of about
$517,000 for the current fiscal year.

Last season ended with a deficit of about $750,000, leaving the symphony
with a projected accumulated debt of $1.2 million, Brosvik said.

Noting that "it is not financially responsible to continue under these
circumstances," the symphony board in its statement said it "will
immediately begin to develop a plan to build a model for the symphony
that is both artistically significant and financially sustainable for
this community. We expect to deliver to San Antonio a stronger symphony
at the opening of the 2003-04 season."

At least one board member, however, wasn't so optimistic.

Michael Ozer said the symphony has only a 50-50 chance of returning.

Brosvik declined to speculate on how the symphony might reorganize for
next season.

"The goal at this point is to be able to use this period to do
planning," Brosvik said.

"I don't see why they can't come up with a plan while we're playing,"
countered violinist Craig Sorgi, spokesman for the musicians as chairman
of the orchestra committee.

He expressed skepticism about the board's course of action.

"To us, it seems fairly apparent that they have not thought this through
all the way," Sorgi said.

He said the board Wednesday actually had passed two resolutions that
contradicted one another.

The first resolution, not mentioned in the board's statement Wednesday,
was to declare a state of financial emergency.

Under the terms of the musicians' collective bargaining agreement, that
declaration sets in motion a fact-finding and mediation process - what
Sorgi called a "play and talk scenario" - that's guaranteed to last 60
days.

But then the second board resolution, suspending concerts after May 3,
"was an imposition of what they think is a good solution" without the
required discussions, Sorgi said.

Sorgi said members of the orchestra committee would meet with acting
board chairman Dale Tremblay this morning.

Brosvik informed the musicians of the board decision Wednesday afternoon
during a rehearsal, Sorgi said.

The shortened season will not affect the symphony's 20-person
administrative staff.

"I need the staff for planning," Brosvik said.

Since making its financial crisis public at the end of February, when it
was unable to meet its payroll, the symphony has received more than
$350,000 in unanticipated or accelerated gifts.

"When the problem was first brought to attention, there was a
groundswell of support," said Ozer, a pediatrician and recently
installed board member. "People have sent in their money."

But Ozer added, "There is blame to go around. The board has been
unsuccessful in getting past stakeholders or new major gifts to sustain
us. The board of the symphony didn't do its job to balance the budget.
You could blame the board and the administration.

"I find it hard to blame the orchestra - they took a 20 percent pay cut
to go into this season."

Ozer said he also faults major corporations that either never stepped up
to the plate or withdrew their level of support.

"People really turned a deaf ear to us. They took a step backward," he
said.

He also chided the city for cutting back on its financial support of the
symphony - cutting about $150,000 from last year.

"It's important that the mayor step up to the leadership role," he said.

Mayor Ed Garza said the city needs a symphony but that it should stand
on its own and "shouldn't be a publicly subsidized entity."

He said that the city has had to cut its support in many areas, and
added: "Instead of finger-pointing, people need to focus on
fund-raising."

He rejected criticism that the city is spending funds to bring the
Dallas Cowboys training camp to the Alamodome while trimming its support
for the symphony.

"We have to balance our priorities," Garza said. "Even if we allocated
our entire Dallas Cowboys amount to the symphony, we couldn't make up
for the shortfall."

mgreenberg(AT)express-news.net



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