San Antonio Symphony News and Archive

Symphony needs support, but not a new hall




by David Anthony Richelieu

from the San Antonio Express News 1/13/98



The San Antonio Symphony deserves a major boost in individual and corporate support and a sizable, well-managed permanent endowment to survive.

That's the bottom line, folks.

Stronger support of the annual fund drive and predictable interest revenue from a big endowment are the easiest ways the symphony can avoid more cash-flow problems like those it now faces.

Some sort of midseason financial emergency has pretty much become an annual ordeal at the symphony. While it isn't clear this year's financial hump is any worse that before, the problem has acquired a more public profile this time because of appeals for support made at concerts Thursday and Saturday.

Praise for the orchestra's level of performance and its stature as a major arts institution came from guest conductor Benjamin Zander of the Boston Philharmonic.

Zander urged increased community support in speeches at his two symphony apperances at the Majestic Theater. He even donated his artistic fees to the orchestra in a strong show of personal support. Five thousand dollars strong.

Board discussions last week of the continuing cash-flow crisis- and of possible options from partial payment to bankruptcy- set off the alarms.

But amid news of the latest crunch some wonder how the symphony could be facing potential payroll shortfalls after earlier talk of moving out of the Majestic Theater by raising $20 million to move into the Scottish Rite Cathedral.

Moving from the Majestic to avoid scheduling conflicts with Broadway musicals was among three ideas totaling $42 million included in a symphony survey circulated in September.

The same issues were discussed in depth with 50 influential citizens who were interviewed by Cargill Asociates of Fort Worth.

Of the $42 million, $20 million was for Scottish Rite renovations, $10 million for the endowment and $12 million pegged as the annual fund drive goal over the next three years.

The survey findings were presented to the board in December but were not officially circulated beyond that.

Symphony Executive Director David Schillhammer said the overall survey results confirmed the community is willing to boost annual support and to build a needed endowment.

But the public apparently made it clear that spending $20 million to move out of the Majestic is about as popular as building a new arena for the Spurs.

Schillhammer said that most of those surveyed feel "the Majestic Theater and the San Antonio Symphony are synonymous. The Majestic was restored and renovated to be the home of the symphony and that's what the community expects."

"We appreciate and understand and agree with that."

Schillhammer added that symphony officials realize "our first priorities are to increase the annual fund and improve the overall economic environment needed to stabilize the future of this great institution."

He said the survey revealed "a tremendous love, admiration and respect for the symphony, for the phenomenal quality of its performances, the diversity of its programming and for the outstanding leadership of Music Director Christopher Wilkins."

OK, San Antonio, you say the symphony is a treasured cultural asset. Let's resolve the orchestra's problems for once and for all- or the next five or six years for starters. Do I hear $5,000 from anyone who isn't just visiting from Boston?



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