The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is reporting an operating surplus for its fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the third consecutive year it has done so. Total operating revenue was $29.5 million, while operating expenses totaled $29.4 million, generating an operating surplus of $103,000. Philanthropic gifts to its annual campaign exceeding $8 million for the first time in the orchestra’s 139-year history. The SLSO experienced its fourth straight year of growth in ticket revenue, with earned revenue totaling $9.1 million. The endowment remained strong at $218 million, with distributions from the endowment draw providing approximately 34% of the SLSO’s annual income. Thanks in part to a $30 million matching gift by the Crawford Taylor Foundation, the SLSO surpassed its original campaign goal of $70 million by more than $18 million. Stéphane Denève is the orchestra’s new music director, and Marie-Hélène Bernard is president and CEO.
Posted November 21, 2019
