“The Louisville Orchestra is reporting a $20,000 budget surplus—the first time it has been in the black since it filed for bankruptcy nearly five years ago,” writes Elizabeth Kramer in Wednesday’s (8/6) Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky). “Last season’s subscription and single-ticket sales exceeded expectations.… The board … also brought in new donations to boost the year’s budget to $5.47 million.” The orchestra’s budget prior to its bankruptcy filing was $6.9 million. “New artistic director Teddy Abrams’ appointment, as well as the hiring of executive director Andrew Kipe, increased interest in the orchestra…. Kipe credited the surplus to ticket sales and donations and cited both as indicators of greater awareness of and public confidence in the orchestra.… ‘We want to engage younger patrons and folks who aren’t engaged with symphonic music in a big way,’ [seven-year board member John] Malloy said…. The orchestra is also working on strengthening its community outreach, which includes the LG&E Music Without Borders … series [of] more than a dozen concerts in Louisville neighborhoods … and at Indiana University Southeast…. [Kipe] said that Abrams was involved in a similar effort with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He said people who attended the neighborhood concerts began buying single tickets for concerts downtown.”
Posted August 7, 2014
Pictured: Louisville Orchestra Artistic Director Teddy Abrams
