“Salem Chamber Orchestra has canceled the three remaining concerts of its 2015-2016 season” in November, February, and April, writes Tom Mayhall Rastrelli in Thursday’s (10/22) Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon). “The board came to this decision during the past week and is seeking legal counsel to discuss a potential bankruptcy…. The organization’s annual budget is roughly $180,000. Since the onset of the 2007 recession, the orchestra has seen an increasing decline in revenue. In spite of cost-saving measures, [Interim Executive Director Teresa] Cox said this year’s significant decline in donations and ticket sales resulted in an estimated budget shortfall of $100,000. ‘This is a very frugal organization,’ Cox said. ‘When you take a significant hit in donations, you can bear it for a while, but then it gets to the point that the only thing you have left is to cut the thing you provide.’ … Rebecca Kueny, board president, had been working with the board and staff to expand the orchestra’s audience. Last season, they held concerts in local restaurants and wineries to recruit younger audience members, but their efforts were unsuccessful.” Said Principal Conductor Nikolas Caoile, “I’m reaching out to my constituents, musicians and staff members and offering condolences and finding ways for SCO to possibly move on in a new incarnation.”
Posted October 26, 2015
