The Boston Symphony is changing its policy towards its volunteer workforce at Tanglewood, its summer home. Volunteers will now be asked to “donate” at least $75 to the BSO’s annual fund, citing a rising deficit situation. This from an orchestra with an endowment of over a third of a billion dollars. Read the full story here. I was drawn to this story by the coverage of Soho the Dog (a.k.a. Matthew Guerrieri).
This is the latest in a string of unfortunate public relations moves from a number of orchestras. Are today’s orchestras so focused on the new and elusive 25 to 45 year old consumers that they are willing to sacrifice their loyal subscriber and volunteer base on the altar of novelty? I surely hope not.
A few years back, a series of poor management decisions left the Oregon Symphony with little or no contact with its neighborhood auxiliaries. These grassroots groups of die hard supporters were left with no direction, mandate or resources. During the tough financial times (such as the OSO faces these days), having that network to help spread the word can really help to bolster the organization through the personal contact and cheer leading that such groups provide. Fortunately, it seems that this was realized just in time, and the relationships have been renewed and strengthened. If you are in an auxiliary or know someone who is, let me know if I’m correct on this.