Detroit Symphony Orchestra Music Director Jader Bignamini with new DSO subscribers Ken Keel and Jessie Nielsen at a May 6 post-concert reception. Photo: Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
“Two years after reemerging from the pandemic shutdown, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra is on a mission to reinforce its connection with the devoted, music-loving supporters who make up its base,” writes Brian McCollum in Thursday’s (5/25) Detroit Free Press. “Those subscribers and donors are the orchestra’s backbone, executives say. The organization is also ramping up efforts to entice new folks into the fold, including several innovative ticket promotions, as the DSO vies to be viewed as another entertainment option for consumers in a busy metro Detroit market. Based on results this season—with ticket sales rebounding to 84% of pre-pandemic levels—executives are feeling optimistic…. DSO President Erik Rönmark said … ‘Once you get to know this orchestra, this venue, you’re part of something bigger than just the music.’… [Ticket revenue] is still 16% off from the last pre-pandemic season. But for orchestra officials, [the increase in sales] marks key movement in the right direction…. These days around Orchestra Hall, even the language is shifting. More and more, you’ll hear talk of ‘season tickets’ rather than ‘subscriptions’—an embrace of the vernacular typically associated with sports and pop venues.”
