San Antonio Symphony News and Archive

Symphony backers lobby City Council for help




from the San Antonio Express News 9/4/98

by Mike Greenberg



Supporters of the financially troubled San Antonio Symphony stopped short of asking the City Council for more money Thursday, and Mayor Howard Peak stopped short of offering it.

More than 100 students, educators, retirees and other symphony advocates held a rally in front of City Hall in the midday heat before marching across the street to ask the council to help the orchestra.

The effort was organized by anesthesiologist Sheila Swartzman and others in what she called a "grass-roots effort."

Few symphony board members or musicians were present.

The speakers pointedly did not ask the council to increase funding of the symphony, for which the Cultural Arts Board has recommended a $400,000 city grant next year.

Speakers did ask the council to exercise "leadership" or "influence" to assure the symphony's survival.

After one speaker did urge additional city aid, Peak responded, "We've put millions of dollars into the symphony in the past... The symphony is the largest single beneficiary of city money. I've talked to folks once again this year asking the city to bail the symphony our."

As he has in the past, Peak opened the door to the possibility of additional city aid to the symphony, but he added: "There's got to be some give and take on both sides. That process is continuing."

Educators and students dominated the microphone in the counicl chamber.

Sandra Mayo, dean of arts and sciences at St. Philip's College, cited the symphony's annual residency at that school and its participation in the Music Advancement Program for San Antonio School District middle school students.

Joe Stuessy, director of the division of music at the University of Texas at San Antonio, noted that symphony musicians stock the music faculties of UTSA, Trinity University and other local colleges.

"If the San Antonio Symphony ceases to exist, all institutions of higher learning in San Antonio will drop to a lower level," Stuessy said.

Several Youth Orchestras of San Antonio members, ranging from elementary to high school age, pleaded with the council to preserve the symphony that includes many of their teachers and mentors.

YOSA's music director, Brendan Townsend, asked the council to "use your influence, use your voice to get out and help us save the symphony."

Linda Gomez Richter, a teacher at Cable Middle School in the Northside School District, said she takes her students to the symphony's Young People's Concerts every year.

"These children who live in a neighborhood - they know exactly what drive-by shootings are; they know exactly what gangs are," she said.



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