“The Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic has cancelled its upcoming season to reevaluate the state of the orchestra, the organization announced Friday,” writes Charlotte Jacobson in Friday’s (8/11) Scranton Times Tribune (Scranton, PA). “What would have been the 46th season of the orchestra … will transform into a single concert in October before ‘suspending operations for the 2017-18 season (to) contemplate the organization’s financial viability,’ according to a press release…. The press release states, ‘The board and staff have cut expenses, received unwavering support from all parts of the region, introduced new marketing and relocated to new venues, but are still unable to remain solvent.’ … A PNC Pops concert, ‘The Music of John Williams,’ is set for Saturday, Oct. 7 … [led by] Music Director Lawrence Loh…. Loh [who in June also became music director of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra] is donating his services for the final PNC Pops concert.” A separate Associated Press story on August 11 states that that the orchestra ended the 2016-17 season with a $235,000 deficit, and that the executive director, music director, and office staff have gone “for months” without a paycheck.
Posted August 14, 2017
