“When a classical music group disbands, the cause almost invariably is financial,” writes John von Rhein in Monday’s (5/12) Chicago Tribune. “It’s almost unheard of for any such organization to go out of business as long as fundraising and attendance remain strong and the artistic level remains high.… Chicago’s Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra, as it turns out, is calling it a day just when the ensemble would appear to have many fine days ahead of it. The well-supported, critically praised orchestra, founded 20 seasons ago by director Alan Heatherington, will perform its final concert Sunday afternoon.… ‘I’ve discovered in the course of the last year that it wasn’t possible to do everything in terms of my time and energy,’ said Alan Heatherington, 69, who will continue as music director of the Chicago Master Singers chorus.… ‘When you’re a smaller organization such as ours, running the office essentially is a one-person job.’ … Ars Viva subscriptions and ticket sales have been trending higher in recent seasons, with attendance averaging a respectable 80 percent of capacity.… Mark George, president and CEO of the Music Institute of Chicago … observed [that Ars Viva] ‘is going out on top, as befits a champion.’ ”
Posted May 14, 2015