I had lunch with a friend the other day, and after talking politics and basketball, we got to talking about the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. It turns out we were both season ticket holders--one of us had made a contribution during the "keep the music playing" appeal. And we were now both in the same situation--more than a little miffed, and doubting that we'd buy season tickets again next year, if the opportunity presented itself. We had similar questions, which have yet to be answered.
I want to be cautious in any criticism of the board of directors, as they are volunteers who give a lot of their time--and a lot of their own money--to the orchestra. But if one of the arguments to support the orchestra is that it is a cherished public resource for the community, then the ultimate line of management for that resource needs to be held publicly accountable for its actions. Here's what I want to know:
--The board keeps talking about cutting back the size of the orchestra, but is an orchestra with an administrative staff that is almost a third as large as the group of core musicians more "administratively heavy" than is typically the case?
--Why have key administrative people been leaving?
--Why weren't there direct and honest communications earlier on with the season ticket holders, so that we didn't have to become informed about our investment through newspaper accounts?
--What was the thinking, and what were the expectations, behind the decisions of the past few years?
--What's the path forward that is currently envisioned by the board--how and why does it expect that the orchestra will survive?
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