In Tuesday’s (1/27) Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York), Anna Reguero reports that in the third year of an aggressive three-year plan, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra came up a bit short. “In the RPO’s annual meeting Monday, officials announced a deficit of $161,000 on an annual operating budget of $10 million, resulting in a $45,000 deficit over three years despite surpluses of $18,000 and $98,000 in the previous two years. … The economy was not to blame, said Charlie Owens, RPO president and CEO. Instead, a high turnover rate in key marketing and development positions contributed to the deficit. Twelve positions over the past 14 months experienced turnover out of a 25 person staff. … Marking the end of the three-year strategic plan, the RPO released a new three-year plan called the Transformation Plan at its annual meeting. The organization hopes to capitalize on the potential of the renovated Eastman Theatre; reach a national and international audience through at least one new recording per year and Internet initiatives that may include streaming concerts and podcasts; increase the RPO’s local summer season while continuing to seek opportunities to travel; and embark on a $2.5 million renovation of its downtown headquarters.”
