“The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra is eliminating a family concert series and reducing other concert performances from two nights to one night in a move to make its operations more efficient and cost-effective,” reads a Monday (2/9) Associated Press report. “Classical and Pops Series concerts will be held only on Saturday evenings, beginning in September. The Family Discovery Series will be discontinued, but the Young People’s Concerts will continue…. ‘In order to get our financial house aligned with the resources of the organization, the Executive Committee of the board recommended the move to single concerts and the elimination of our family programing…,’ said John Elliot, chair of the symphony’s Board of Directors…. Symphony President Joe Tackett said changing demographics and a difficult economic climate prompted the changes. The symphony had performed Classical and Pops Series concerts on two nights since the fall of 2004, when it changed its home concert hall from the Charleston Municipal Auditorium to the Clay Center.… Symphony leaders … determined the reductions would maximize the symphony’s performance space. ‘The full board unanimously approved the measure. We will continue to evaluate our business model to ensure our donor and patron contributions will be used in the most efficient and cost-effective ways,’ Elliot said.”
Posted February 10, 2015
