San Antonio Symphony News and Archive

Symphony ready to pay its members




by Mike Greenberg and David Hendricks

from the San Antonio Express News 1/14/98



The San Antonio Symphony is prepared to make payroll on schedule Thursday, Executive Director David Schillhammer said Tuesday.

But its board still is scheduled to meet today to discus its cash-flow problem.

Late last week, reports from some symphony musicians indicate the orchestra was in financial crisis. Reports also raised concerns about the ability to meet the payroll.

Schillhammer declined to comment further on the meeting's agenda. Board Chairman Charles Lutz was out of town and unavailable for comment.

Schillhammer has maintained the orchestra's current cash-flow gap is not extraordinary, but it came to public attention in an unusual manner:

During concerts last Thursday and Saturday, guest conductor Benjamin Zander made an urgent and extended appeal for contributions from the podium. He also donated his $5,000 fee to the orchestra.

As of a week ago, when the board last et, $100,000 was needed to meet the mid-January payroll.

But Schillhammer said he was confident payroll would be met through this period of cash-flow difficulties "because of the continuing generosity of this community."

Board approval will not be required in order to cut paychecks on schedule at noon on Thursday, he said.

The latest figure for the symphony's accumulated debt, as of May 31- the end of the symphony's fiscal year- is $1.49 million, Schillhammer said.

The organization is proceeding with plans to announce its 1998-99 season Jan. 30. Season ticket sales will be conducted thereafter until mid-April.



Back to the Symphony Archives.