In Wednesday’s (8/11) News & Advance (Lynchburg, Virginia), Casey Gillis writes, “When the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra put on the final show of its 2009-2010 season in May, members weren’t sure they’d be back for another one. With the organization’s future in doubt, the board had put executive director Rick Piester and administrative assistant Deirdre Serio on indefinite furlough, and they’d asked performers to play that final show for free, as a donation. But community support pulled them through, and LSO will be back with four shows—the first being a Halloween concert on Oct. 31—for its 2010-2011 season, what board president Rick Edwards calls a rebuilding year. Edwards says several things helped turn the ship around, starting with ticket sales for the May concert. Audience attendance was up to almost twice their usual turnout. They also received more money from their regular donors and, because of publicity about their struggles, donations from new ones. … Serio is back as the symphony’s part-time general manager; Edwards says they eliminated the executive director position altogether because they just couldn’t afford two paid positions.”
Posted August 12, 2010
