A significant drop in fundraising dollars, exacerbated by the recession’s “strong headwind” has forced the Charleston Symphony Orchestra to suspend its operations, effective immediately, board president Ted Legasey said Sunday.
It is the first time in the orchestra’s 75-year history that a performance season has been disrupted because of acute financial difficulties, and next season’s fate is far from certain.
The remaining Masterworks concert, scheduled for April 17, has been canceled. Ticket holders will be asked to donate the cost of tickets to the organization or be reimbursed, Legasey said.
Savannah lost theirs a few years ago as well. Perhaps a Low Country Symphony Orchestra that performed in both venues would be viable?
How things change. Charleston’s first paid orchestra dates from the mid 18th century when the city’s population was only about 8,000. I don’t suppose back then they were quite so burdened with six-figure wage expectations and other trappings our advanced society requires of us. So now Charleston is enjoying the fruits of 21st century progress, but can’t afford to pay for music. Sad.
That Savannah and Charleston, two of my favorite cities in the world, should both lose their symphonies is very sad indeed. I’m continually grateful that we have a superb symphony orchestra here in Lexington, KY.
On the bright side, at least the government isn’t stepping in to support an institution that the people clearly don’t want. After all, if government started supporting the arts, we’d become more like Europe.
RE: “On the bright side, at least the government isn’t stepping in to support an institution that the people clearly don’t want.”
So true — for then the people would want the government-produced-product [i]even less[/i], and it would then have to be funded progressively more and more.
So much better to actually let those who wish for classical music to figure it out without the government further screwing things up in the economy that the government is also screwing up so massively.