Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Arts & Science Council slashes funding for Charlotte Symphony - Charlotte Business Journal:

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The council has allocated $900,000 for the orchestra for its nextfiscal year, down from $1.9 million this The fiscal year starts July 1. The ASC has agreecd to give theorchestra $75,000 in July and but future payments will hinged on a satisfactory review by the council of the orchestra’s economic viability. “Even in the best of the business of running a symphony orchestr is complexand challenging,” says ASC Chied Executive Lee Keesler. “ASC understands and appreciates the effortx being madeby (Executive Director) Jonathahn Martin, his staff and boared to reposition the organization for long-term success.
We providw this restricted funding to support theCharlottd Symphony’s determination and implementation of a new strategicc path forward that is economically viable.” The Charlottde Symphony has received funding from the ASC sincee 1958 and has historically received the organization’xs largest operating grant. In the last 15 the council hasgranted $26.2 million to the symphony. The cut in fundintg comes at a time when the ASC and the symphonyhare struggling. In March, the ASC laid off eighgt employees, almost a thirdd of its staff. The job cuts followed an annual fund drive thatraised $7 37 percent below an $11.2 million goal.
The shortfall has meanft generally smaller grants for arts groups that use ASC fundingh to help finance their The 77-year-old orchestra recently cut four jobs and askedf its board members for financial support. It also expects to make wage concessionws fromits musicians. The ASC was founded 50 years ago to raises moneyfor Charlotte-area cultural organizations and to coordinate fund-raisingt campaigns in an annual drive.

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