“Since filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy just five years ago and after a fractious contract dispute with musicians, the Louisville Orchestra is taking bold steps to build audiences and attract donors. And it’s working,” writes Elizabeth Kramer in Monday’s (10/1) Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.). “From 2013 to 2016, ticket income rose 82.5 percent after a 60 percent increase in season subscriptions and a 128 percent increase in single ticket sales. Individual donations have jumped 34.5 percent…. The orchestra still has its challenges…. But [Executive Director Andrew] Kipe recently said … the organization [is intensifying] fundraising efforts to support its $6.8 million budget…. It’s also finalizing a five-year strategic plan…. [Music Director Teddy] Abrams’ activities with the orchestra about town have helped … the organization connect with new audiences…. Kipe has searched for department leaders with considerable experience and hired several, including a marketing director who worked for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and New World Symphony, and a fundraising head who came from the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra also has overhauled its fundraising strategies—particularly broadening its donor base.” Says Abrams, “We’re at a springboard moment where we can set ourselves on a trajectory so the entire apparatus of the orchestra is successful.”
Posted October 3, 2016
