CSO foresees bright future
Principal conductor Bernard Haitink returns to Symphony Center this weekend for his annual fall residency, covering three subscription weeks through Dec. 9. Haitink opens his programming with one of his signature pieces, Gustav Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony (tonight, Saturday and Tuesday), and his upcoming concerts include music by Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, Witold Lutoslawski and Richard Strauss.
In a way, these concerts are a celebration of the CSO's recent positive report for fiscal 2008, which showed a modest surplus of $232,000, an impressive $19.6 million in donations to the annual fund (a 5.2 percent increase over 2007), and continued strong ticket sales, surpassing 85 percent of Orchestra Hall's capacity. Over the concert season ending in June, Symphony Center hosted 230 musical events, including 155 CSO concerts and more than 50 under the aegis of "Symphony Center Presents."
All of this in the face of the nation's largest overall economic downturn in decades, when attendance at performing arts events is under threat from a lessening of disposable income in most households.
"We have so much to celebrate," said CSO President Deborah F. Rutter in her report to the trustees at the Oct. 23 annual meeting. "The Chicago Symphony Orchestra remains at the forefront of the industry, with artistic leadership that is second to none, innovative media initiatives that are thriving, presentations of the highest artistic quality, music education programs that deepen our connection to the Chicago community, and a solid foundation of support through its musicians, volunteers, donors, patrons, staff and trustees.
The CSO is "on precipice of a new era," Rutter said, noting the anticipated arrival of new music director Riccardo Muti in September 2010.
Chicago Symphony Association Chairman William A. Osborn addressed the economy during his remarks.
"While I know many of you have growing concerns about the current world economic climate, let me reassure you that first and foremost we will not let the artistic integrity of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra waver," Osborn said.
Among its ongoing audience-development initiatives in 2007-2008, the Sunday "Beyond the Score" series, in which listeners take an in-depth look at a single orchestral work through visual imagery and narration, saw subscriptions grow by 66 percent and total ticket sales for the series were up by 32 percent. "Afterwork Masterworks," the CSO's casual four-concert rush hour series, continued to gain support, as total ticket sales grew by 5 percent.
About 550,000 people attended performances and events at Symphony Center in the past year, including free events such as Macy's Day of Music, Civic Orchestra of Chicago concerts, the CSO's chamber music programs and education and community-relations programs. A total of 409,524 tickets were sold for 213 ticketed concerts during the 2007-2008 season, compared to 395,772 tickets to 211 ticketed concerts during the previous year.
For ticket availability on Haitink's concerts during the next three weeks, call the Symphony Center ticket office at (312) 294-3000 or visit cso.org.