In Friday’s (3/6) Las Vegas Sun, Kristen Peterson writes about the Las Vegas Philharmonic’s fight to stay alive. “Just before its Christmas concert, board members and executives of the philharmonic learned that the institution didn’t have the $90,000 it needed to go forward with its January youth concerts. And, executives said a budget deficit of $200,000 meant the orchestra would barely make it though the first of the year.” The board president was asked to leave, donors helped fund the youth concerts, and staff took pay cuts. “Conductor David Itkin announced at the February concert that the orchestra received a $100,000 matching grant and asked audience members to open their wallets. Jeri Crawford, vice president of the board, is serving as the philharmonic’s presiding officer until the orchestra—and the economy—is back on its feet.” Says Crawford, “For the first time in a long time we have a working board. Everyone on the board has an assignment. We’re doing a lot of community outreach. We have a new team that’s interacting with orchestra members and the guild. Guild members have been coming in two to three days a week. We have new blood, new energy, new life at the philharmonic.”
Posted March 9, 2009
