In Sunday’s (10/11) Portland Press Herald (Maine), Bob Keyes writes, “The 85th season of the Portland Symphony Orchestra got off to a terrific start, on stage and off. Trimmed out for opening night on Tuesday, the orchestra tamed Beethoven’s rousing third symphony and presented Peter Boyer’s ‘Ellis Island: The Dream of America’ as a muscular Hollywood epic. As maestro Robert Moody soaked up the adoration of a lingering standing ovation, it was apparent that the season-opening concert could not have been received more warmly. And for the first time in a long time, there were no cautionary financial red flags. After a tumultuous year of layoffs, budget cuts and endowment losses, the orchestra announced it had closed the fiscal year with a balanced budget. … For the current fiscal year, the orchestra’s budget is $2.4 million—a conservative spending plan that reflects the goals of the PSO’s new Sustainability Plan and Bridge Initiative. Adopted in March, the plan reaffirms the orchestra’s commitment to producing quality artistic experiences and educational programs while operating within known financial limitations. … There are a lot of good things happening with the orchestra. Ticket revenue is up 23 percent, and Moody is as popular as [Board President Gordon] Gayer and his fellow board members hoped he would be.”
Posted October 13, 2009
