Symphony no
longer seeing red

And as a reward, a donor will
deliver on a promised $1 million

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By Tim Ryan
tryan@starbulletin.com

After balancing its budget, including eliminating a $1.5 million debt, the Honolulu Symphony will receive the $1 million it was promised by an anonymous donor.

"This is a great day for the symphony," said Stephen Bloom, symphony executive director.

Several major donations to the symphony's annual fund drive came in at the June 30 deadline, including some from first-time donors, Bloom said.

The anonymous donor made the $1 million donation offer last month, but only if the symphony balanced its budget by the end of the fiscal year. The symphony is also conducting a matching-gift campaign to double that gift by Dec. 31, 2001.

The organization met the challenge of balancing its budget with $500 to spare, Bloom said. Donations ranged from $20 to $20,000, he said.

This year's balanced budget is the organization's first in three years. Last year, there was an operating shortfall of more than $800,000.

Budget projections for fiscal 2001 predicted a deficit of $350,000, but record ticket sales and donations made the difference.

Popular events included the Halekulani Classical Masterworks series and the New Year's production of Beethoven's Ninth, which had a 12 percent increase in ticket sales over the previous season. The Pops season saw a 42 percent increase over the previous year.

Proceeds from the Symphony Ball netted a record $420,000, and the Annual Fund Drive attracted $1.75 million.

Belt-tightening measures also helped, Bloom said. The symphony staff cut overall expenses by $870,000, and musicians and maestro Samuel Wong extended their contracts at last year's wage levels.

Total operating revenues -- ticket sales plus donations -- for fiscal year 2001 were just over $5.8 million.

The symphony recently was awarded a three-year, $230,000 grant from the Hawaii Community Foundation, the foundation's largest ever to the orchestra. The grant will help the symphony establish marketing and donor-development programs.

The symphony recently announced that its first 2001-02 concert, at the Blaisdell Arena Aug. 11, will feature a special appearance by Charlotte Church, the 15-year-old opera sensation from Wales.

Tickets, at $45 to $65, go on sale at 9 a.m. tomorrow at the Honolulu Symphony ticket office, Blaisdell Center box office, Ticket Plus and military outlets.

Wong will conduct the performance of light-opera classics and popular songs, including "Pie Jesu," "The Last Rose of Summer," "Summertime" and "O Mio Babbino Caro."

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