August 3, 2011

 

 

 

Dear Patrons,

 

I have exciting news and I am thrilled to share it with you first. The Vancouver Symphony is alive and well! We have you to thank, along with many others in our community. Your generous donation was part of the $144,000 that we raised in cash and pledges in the month of June – ahead of our deadline!

What this community said to our board of directors, is we value our Symphony and we are going to fight to keep the music alive. But changes have to be made. So we took a hard look within and made changes.

 

Now we enter our 33rd season with a "Bold New Beginning."

Maestro Brotons, our board of directors, the Friends of the Symphony and the orchestra members are humbled and grateful for your sacrifice and vote of confidence. With the cash donations we were able to pay all of our bills and focus on moving forward with the new season. We have made some serious changes that I want to share with you.

What we heard loud and clear was, "OK we will step up to the plate and get you over this hump but you have to change the way you are doing business." We took that very seriously.

Steve Hix pulled together a team of business leaders and formed a TAC (temporary advisory committee) who pored over our finances, our administrative and orchestra structure. At their recommendation, we cut our budget by 25%. We all sacrificed and have agreed to give more of our volunteer time to bring five full-orchestra concerts to you. We did not compromise the music. The maestro and orchestra have all made sacrifices as well.

I am very proud of the budget that has been put forth by our board. In the new plan, 74% of all expenditures go toward music and our musicians and only 26% toward administration. If you would like to see the plan, please stop by our office at 1220 Main Street and just ask.

Now, we need your help! We cannot create these concerts without our volunteers. We need all sorts of help…phones to be answered, tickets to sell, data to be entered, envelopes to be licked and calls to be made. I promise you this – whatever capacity you can help we need you, and you will have fun! Please call our office at 360-735-7278 or e-mail Michael at mfoxlambert@vancouversymphony.org to tell us what you like to do. We will follow up with you quickly.

Tickets are NOW on sale. Please purchase your season tickets and then pledge to sell a couple more to your family and friends. We need to increase our sales by 15%, and we can only do it with your help.

Maestro Brotons has offered a challenge to the person that sells the most season tickets—an invitation to dinner that will be truly memorable. Michael Fox-Lambert in the VSO office has details.

Thank you for the first step in the year of "A Bold New Beginning". Please call, stop by and lend a hand. You are a major part of our Symphony and we need you. I want to hear from you, so please call if you have questions. I travel for my job but have two cell phones and am committed to making this the best year yet. Just call me at 360-607-8959.

With a grateful heart,

Kathy McDonald
VSO Board Chair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Our Community,

 

Our much-loved Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is at a crossroads. Unless we can raise $100,000 in the next four weeks, we may be forced to cancel our next season.

As the current season came to a close, it was clear that the VSO—like so many arts organizations today—faced a financial crisis. Ticket sales have held steady since the recession began, but ticket sales cover only about 20% of expenses. Like all orchestras, the VSO depends on grants, individual donors and corporate sponsorships; and donations have dropped 15% in each of the past three years, especially business and corporate support. As a result our emergency reserves are depleted and our major fundraising Gala in May fell short of expectations.

Members of our board, the Friends of the VSO and others are working day and night to create a strategy to move the symphony forward. We’re paring our expenses and staff to a minimum; administrative costs in the proposed 2011-12 budget are down more than 50%. Plans for the season include greater use of chamber-sized performances featuring VSO musicians, which cost less to present and generate extra revenue.

Finally, we’re exploring a partnership with other local performing groups in a new venture called Music Alive!, designed to expand audiences and compete more effectively for grant funding. Foundations tell us they are seeking creative, collaborative ideas like this that make music more accessible, especially to young and underserved audiences.

As you can see, the VSO has a vision for the future—and plenty of determination. But we need your help to get there, now more than at any time in our 32-year history. The recession has closed dozens of orchestras around the country, and even the famed Philadelphia Orchestra filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this spring.

We have a lot going for us. Our Maestro Salvador Brotons is a world-renowned conductor and composer. Our orchestra has grown substantially in artistry and audience size. Community leaders agree the VSO raises the quality of life in our region and helps attract top businesses and workers. Our children’s programs (attended by more than 1,600) fill a gap left by shrinking school budgets.

The campaign to raise $100,000 will fund our orchestra through the summer and into the 2011-12 season. Even more important, it will provide the reserve we need as we pursue major grants for Music Alive! (a process that takes several months).

If you value your Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, please step up now and support us as generously as you can. As our Maestro said recently: “We love you and we know you won’t leave us alone.”

Sincerely,

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors

P.S.—If you have already purchased season tickets for next year, we are holding those funds in reserve in case refunds are necessary.