In Wednesday’s (8/1) Agence France Presse, Daniel Kelley writes, “Philadelphia’s renowned orchestra has officially emerged from bankruptcy, in part thanks to a visit to China, and now looks forward to an unexpectedly bright future, the CEO said Tuesday. ‘If we can be a model of the perseverance it takes to keep a great institution alive, bring it on. The wind is at our back,’ Allison Vulgamore, the orchestra’s CEO, told AFP. The Philadelphia Orchestra shocked the arts world in April 2011 when it filed for bankruptcy, demonstrating the depth and extent of the US recession. … Vulgamore said the trip [to China] has paved the way for a five-year residency in the country. … Challenges remain for the ensemble. ‘Bankruptcy cannot grow revenues. It cannot address undercapitalization,’ Vulgamore says. Also, the average age of classical music audiences across the country is 55, according to Jesse Rosen, president of the League of American Orchestras. ‘Growing the audience is a challenge,’ Rosen added. ‘That’s one of the factors that all producers of live events are facing. And there’s been an explosion of choice and opportunities.’ The orchestra has developed a program to woo the university crowd, including a ticket scheme that gives students access to unsold seats for $25 per year subscription. It has also begun exploring more multimedia presentations.”
Posted August 1, 2012
