In Saturday’s (2/16) Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (New York), Stuart Low and Sean Dobbin report, “The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is ready to try new strategies to erase its $746,000 operating deficit and build its audience. RPO leaders plan to offer more concerts in farflung towns, starting with a recently launched series in Ithaca. They also will appeal to local high-tech and financial services companies for donations, hoping to fill the vacuum left by downsized giants such as Eastman Kodak Co. and Bausch & Lomb. And the RPO is likely to introduce offbeat programs designed to attract new listeners, say CEO Charles Owens and board chair Elizabeth Rice. One series under discussion, Cocktail Classics, would combine upscale food, drinks and a short concert. … One easy way to stem the red ink would be to thin the orchestra’s ranks, which now include 87 full- and part-time musicians. But RPO administrators have decided not to go that route. … Like other financially strapped orchestras coping with the post-2008 recession, the RPO is seeking a more diverse pool of donors. … As the RPO explores corporate Rochester’s changing landscape, it also is seeking new markets for its concerts.”
Posted February 20, 2013
