Monday (10/22) on the Toronto Star online (Ontario), Trish Crawford reports, “The Toronto Symphony Orchestra will have to increase its fundraising efforts in the wake of a $1-million deficit for the 2011/12 season, says Andrew Shaw, president and CEO. The annual general report, presented Monday, shows that the 90th birthday celebration which featured residencies by superstars Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman was a costly success. The TSO sold more tickets—224,000 up from 219,173 the previous season—and maintained an average of over 80 per cent of seats sold, Shaw reported. When the special season was planned two years in advance, Shaw says there was an expectation of a slight deficit, but the worsening economy meant the extra $1 million thrown into concert productions wasn’t made up by increased philanthropy. The TSO’s operating expenses for 2011/12 were $25,536,906 and revenues were $24,550,586, the report says. … Shaw says that the TSO has launched a new longer-term fundraising campaign for support of operating costs and building up the Toronto Symphony Foundation.”
Posted October 23, 2012
