In Friday’s (5/1) Philadelphia Inquirer, Peter Dobrin reports, “the Philadelphia Orchestra said yesterday that it had won a more favorable arrangement from the Mann Center that allowed it to restore concerts in Fairmount Park to their lowest usual number: nine. The new summer plan—which the orchestra insists is final—is the result of negotiations between the Mann and the orchestra that went on even after the joint announcement April 7 that the Mann concerts were being cut to three from the traditional number (nine to 18). The pact, which leaders say was signed Tuesday, calls for the Mann to become presenter of the orchestra, instead of the orchestra presenting itself. The Philadelphia Orchestra Association will provide the orchestra at no fee to the Mann, which will cover staffing, marketing, security, and other expenses. Having the Mann as presenter (as the relationship was structured until a decade ago) removes the risk for the orchestra of poor ticket revenue when it is making broad cuts to the budget to avert a threatened deficit.”
Posted May 1, 2009
