“The Springfield Symphony Orchestra announced a fourth consecutive year of record-breaking ticket sales Thursday morning,” reports Gregory J. Holman in Thursday’s (6/22) News-Leader (Springfield, MO). “Single-ticket sales increased by 18 percent during the 2016-2017 season, while overall attendance for the symphony’s ‘Extreme’ season increased 10 percent over the previous year. Season-ticket sales are stable … Kyle Wiley Pickett, the music director and conductor of the symphony, cites two reasons: The symphony has ‘continued to grow artistically’ in terms of its musical quality, and it ran a ‘different and creative’ advertising campaign last year. For example, on April 1 the symphony performed Igor Stravinsky’s 1913 masterpiece The Rite of Spring. ‘‘We got huge positive feedback and no negative feedback on that,’ Pickett said. … It was the first time in the orchestra’s 82-year history that the orchestra played the Rite, and it sold a lot of tickets, Pickett said. ‘We didn’t just pull it off—we played the heck out of it,’ he said … ‘The other important thing: We’re doing it with a balanced budget,’ he added. … ‘We’re in a good position, and I’m thrilled with what we’re able to do and offer,’ Pickett said.”
Posted June 27, 2017
