“Less than a year and a half after its formation, the Salem Symphony has dissolved and canceled all future concerts,” writes Cooper Green in Tuesday’s (9/5) Statesman Journal (Salem, OR). “The symphony board of directors made the decision on Aug. 31.… Alexa Aimer, general manager of the symphony, said that although they had been happy with sales and attendance, they were lacking the donations and corporate sponsorships to make continuing possible…. Laura Aguero, executive director of the Oregon Symphony Association in Salem, acknowledged how difficult sponsorship can be…. Aguero said in lieu of a refund for Salem Symphony tickets to now-cancelled shows, the Oregon Symphony Association will provide a free ticket to any show from its current season…. The [Salem] symphony played its first performance in December 2016…. The group set out to be community-driven and reach a younger audience…. The symphony’s final performance was at the Elsinore Theatre in May. Salem Symphony was slated to perform two shows at the Oregon State Fair this year [and] had another performance scheduled for Sept. 30 at the Elsinore…. Prior to the founding of the Salem Symphony, the Salem Chamber Orchestra, which had existed for 31 years, filed for bankruptcy in 2015.”
Posted September 7, 2017
