“The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra has raised $4.8 million in its emergency campaign, making it a virtual certainty it will cross the $5 million finish line soon,” writes Jim Higgins in Friday’s (2/14) Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee). “That $4.8 million includes a ‘Finale’ grant of up to $200,000 from an anonymous donor, which will match dollar for dollar new and increased gifts to the orchestra…. It’s the second good-news bulletin for the MSO this month. The symphony community last week celebrated the safe return of the Lipinski Stradivarius violin played by concertmaster Frank Almond, which had been stolen during an armed robbery. ‘The outpouring of support from the Milwaukee community over the past few months has been overwhelming,’ Mark Niehaus, president and executive director of the MSO, said… In December, the MSO announced a campaign to raise $5 million to pay off a $2 million shortfall, stabilize its cash flow and plan a balanced budget for its 2014-’15 season. MSO management also reached an agreement with its musicians to reduce the size of the orchestra through retirements and attrition from 79 members to the mid to high 60s next season.… In 2014-15, [musicians] will play and be paid for 40 weeks in a noncontiguous 44-week period.”
Posted February 18, 2014
