In Friday’s (12/6) Plain Dealer, Zachary Lewis reports, “For the first time in years, the [Cleveland Orchestra] on Wednesday released an annual report containing virtually nothing but good news. In fiscal 2013, the budget balanced, the endowment grew, and the audience swelled by leaps and bounds. ‘The community is demonstrating confidence in us because we really have our act together,’ said Dennis LaBarre, president of the Musical Arts Association, the orchestra’s governing body. ‘People are realizing that the orchestra is the kind of asset this community needs.’ … Building on the near-elimination of its deficit last year, the orchestra in fiscal 2013 balanced its books perfectly, breaking even on a budget of $48.2 million.… Hand-in-hand with revenue went an overall rise in attendance.… In Miami, where the orchestra spent four weeks in residence, mostly with music director Franz Welser-Most, paid admissions totaled 16,000. Additionally, the orchestra appeared on European music festivals, held a residency at Indiana University, and traveled to several other domestic locations.… Enter the one remaining weakness in the orchestra’s financial armor: the ongoing reliance on ‘Special Fundraising’ to cover revenue shortfalls.… But if all goes as planned, the need for such support will be short-lived…”
Posted December 9, 2013
Cleveland Orchestra photo by Carl Juste / Iris PhotoCollective
