The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia in rehearsal at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
In Saturday’s (9/27) Philadelphia Inquirer, Peter Dobrin writes, “Citing the expense of performing at the city’s largest arts venue, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia announced Friday that it had decided to vacate the Kimmel [Center] after a 24-year run.… Anne Hagan, the group’s executive director, said it had become ‘difficult for us to keep up with payments’ for Kimmel base rent and the other costs of performing there, even though Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts management had been generous in terms of a timetable for making payments. The group had been a resident company at the Kimmel’s Perelman Theater since the arts center’s opening in 2001. POEA released a statement Friday saying it understood that the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia ‘is experiencing challenges that many nonprofit performing arts organizations are facing. Their contributions have enriched our theaters and Philadelphia’s cultural landscape, and we have valued our long and collegial relationship with them…’ The group’s 2025-26 concerts were already planned to be split between the Kimmel and other venues…. David Hayes, the ensemble’s music director, said that the savings will give the group a chance to ‘really work to build community with our audiences in ways we haven’t been able to and take some more artistic risks.’ ”
