In Sunday’s (9/6) Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock), Eric E. Harrison writes, “The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra will be in transition, but not upheaval, as it opens its 2009-10 season this week. The orchestra has a new executive director, Christina Littlejohn, who arrived in June, and a new marketing director, Evan Marks, who arrived in mid-July. There will be five guest conductors for the first five Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks concerts, all auditioning for the position of music director that David Tikin is vacating after 16 years. Meanwhile, the orchestra, like all nonprofits, has been battling the effects of the recession, including a shrinking budget, stagnant advance ticket sales and declining contributions. The 2010 budget, which began July 1, is down more than 10 percent, from $3.2 million to $2.8 million. … Littlejohn says her first priority has been a new strategic plan for the orchestra.” An online version of the article can be found here, but a subscription is required to view the entire text.
Posted September 9, 2009
