San Antonio orchestra has ceased to exist (Houston, Dallas: live, restaurants)

[RadiantBaby]

Originally Posted by Cuero

This is the same argument that comes up every time a professional sports franchise is mentioned. San Antonio is a blue collar, low income city. Its citizens just don't have the disposable funds to support a symphony even if they had interest. A quick search found several articles on it and San Antonio isn't the only town losing its symphony. It seems to be a national trend. Anyway, I don't think anyone even noticed the symphony was gone.

This, and sadly it's correct.

San Antonio celebrates a new burger joint with more zeal than anything. That speaks volumes.

Yet, they somehow have the disposable income to cough up for Spurs tickets. Go figure.

Bottom line, it's embarrassing considering every other major city in Texas has their symphony.

[WVNomad]

Originally Posted by Cuero

This is the same argument that comes up every time a professional sports franchise is mentioned. San Antonio is a blue collar, low income city. Its citizens just don't have the disposable funds to support a symphony even if they had interest. A quick search found several articles on it and San Antonio isn't the only town losing its symphony. It seems to be a national trend. Anyway, I don't think anyone even noticed the symphony was gone.

I noticed.

[WVNomad]

Originally Posted by supfromthesite

I am fairly certain that ticket sales generate the revenue that pays the salaries.

Most metropolitan Symphonies have a foundation that actively solicits funds from individual donors, and more importantly corporate donors. These foundations typically provide up to 60% of a Symphony’s operating budget. I have no information other than what I have read in the paper, but I suspect that Symphony’s Board has been unsuccessful in securing the support of long term corporate donors. I’m sure they have beaten the bushes and looked for funding, but I suspect that funding just has not been forthcoming. San Antonio does not have many large companies that have the resources to pony up funds to run a Symphony. I see H‑E‑B’s name on a bunch of stuff, and there is the AT&T Center….I suspect they were approached and said we’ve already given.

[rynetwo]

Again, this affects such a small population in any city. We have traveling symphonies and you can take a show in on vacation. Is it unfortunate? Yes.

[WVNomad]

Originally Posted by rynetwo

Again, this affects such a small population in any city. We have traveling symphonies and you can take a show in on vacation. Is it unfortunate? Yes.

The bankruptcy speaks to the larger issue of the quality of life in San Antonio. As amenities like this disappear, as companies like AT&T move out, the lack of professional sports (excluding the Spurs), etc. just add to the perception of the city being a less desirable place to live. This in turn tends to make it less likely other businesses will relocate here and so on. San Antonio may never be a world class city, but it can do better.

[Azure110]

Remind me again why does San Antonio need to be a "world class city"? A few posters in this thread expressed the desire for San Antonio to be so.

It is sad that we lost the symphony/orchestra. I wonder if effects of pandemic measures over the last couple years was the final nail in the coffin.

[supfromthesite]

^I agree actually. I like San Antonio the way it is. I don't want it to become Dallas or Houston or Austin.

[mojo101]

half a loaf is better than no loaf at all.
Same happens to the New Orleans Orchestra prior to 2000,these musicians have to find another job .
I dont know anyone who goes to orchestra?

[TexasRedneck]

It seems that as far back as I can remember, the symphony has struggled to stay afloat here - as well as in other cities. Part of the problem (to me) is that it tends to come across as stodgy, rather than fun and creative. I used to love playing symphony music - did so for 5 years in school. We got a new music director in my HS junior year that was so rigid and unbending, he allowed NOTHING to be played but "classical" music. The next year, what had been a band that people fought to qualify to be a part of had less than 25% of what was needed to perform.

[WVNomad]

Originally Posted by TexasRedneck

It seems that as far back as I can remember, the symphony has struggled to stay afloat here - as well as in other cities. Part of the problem (to me) is that it tends to come across as stodgy, rather than fun and creative. I used to love playing symphony music - did so for 5 years in school. We got a new music director in my HS junior year that was so rigid and unbending, he allowed NOTHING to be played but "classical" music. The next year, what had been a band that people fought to qualify to be a part of had less than 25% of what was needed to perform.

Your music director’s selection of “classical” music was misguided and poorly chosen. Plenty of “classical” music that could be characterized as anything but “stodgy”. I point you to the 3rd movement of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony or the entirety of his 5th Piano Concerto. Possibly some of the most meloditic any dynamic music compositions ever written. Quite timeless.