The San Antonio Philharmonic in a recent performance.
In Friday’s (1/17) New York Times, Javier C. Hernández and Miranda Rodriguez write, “When the musicians of the San Antonio Philharmonic gathered on a recent night to rehearse Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the mood was celebratory. The Philharmonic, which was formed after the demise in 2022 of the San Antonio Symphony, the city’s 83-year-old ensemble, had reason to be hopeful. The ensemble had found a new home inside an ornate Masonic temple; it had recruited a respected music director, Jeffrey Kahane; and it had unveiled an ambitious slate of programming, including a mix of contemporary and classical works…. The challenges facing the Philharmonic were also present. Staff turnover has hampered some of the Philharmonic’s priorities. Bitter disputes have erupted among board members and donors. And financial strains have forced the orchestra to make last-minute trims to its season. The Philharmonic hopes to move beyond those troubles and show that San Antonio, with a population of about 1.5 million, can support a thriving orchestra…. San Antonio’s leaders say they are undaunted by the challenges. They say that they are committed to finding new audiences and patrons in the community, and that they want to take a creative approach to programming.”
