Where Most Needed

As Marin Alsop begins her work as music director designate of the Baltimore Symphony, the bad news is that the symphony in on track to accumulate a staggering amount of debt, projected at $16 million by the end of the current season.  That level of debt represents an amount equal to roughly half the symphony's annual budget.  The ArtsJournal blog points out that deficits this size have so far only been seen in symphonies with much larger budgets. 

These revelations came just under two months after the abrupt resignation of James Glicker, the former marketing executive whose (brief) tenure as President & CEO at the Symphony was characterized by some groundbreaking moves (such as Maestra Alsop), but also staff departures and continued skepticism about style and substance.  One obvious misstep resulted in cancellation of performances at the symphony's Montgomery County venue Strathmore Hall. 

Note: most older links are to Washington Post stories because Baltimore Sun moves most articles to paid archives.  The ArtsJounal blog by Drew McManus also provided better insight than found its way to the pages of the local newspaper. 

Interim President & CEO W. Gar Richlin set the tone with his comment, "Are tough times ahead? Absolutely," as Jane Marvine, head of the BSO players committee, sat in on the Baltimore Sun interview at his invitation.  The musicians' contract expires in September.  Richlin's background is in law, but he was also president of Advertising.Com, which was acquired by American Online in 2004.

If your interest is in the arts in the Washington DC area, though, you might find that ionarts (Eye on Arts) satisfies your aesthetic appetite, though the focus here is more on performance than on management.