Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

PGSO back in black

There are times when the Prince George Symphony Orchestra has been close to bankruptcy. These are not those times.
pgso-celebrates-canada--you.jpg
Members of the PGSO perform last year at an event at Exploration Place. The orchestra has turned a corner this year on the road back to financial stability.

There are times when the Prince George Symphony Orchestra has been close to bankruptcy.

These are not those times.

The PGSO has suffered from modern audience trends away from orchestral music, they have suffered from management choices that did not always turn out as hoped, they have suffered from sponsorship agreements that fizzled or were never obtained in the first place.

The PGSO is not suffering at all at the moment.

Board chair Teresa Saunders, a veteran of not-for-profit organizations and school administration, stepped in to become the organization's general manager when a succession of staffers revolved in and out. After a year of guest conductors and auditioning candidates for the job of artistic director, new artistic director Michael Hall is now in place with the music season well underway.

It is a time of stability, and the finances are starting to reflect the refreshed keel of the PGSO ship.

"Our operating budget was $86,000 in deficit at the end of 2016," said Saunders. "At the end of the 2017 season, we were $50,000 in the black. It was a phenomenal turnaround."

They still have a debt, and most of it is a loan the City of Prince George gave the organization in 2005 and renegotiated a couple of years ago allowing for an extension. It is an extension the PGSO board and staff hope will never even be used.

"We had to pay back the $50,000 loan by 2030, and interest begins to accrue for any amounts still owing between 2020 and 2030," Saunders explained. "The amount owing today on that loan is only $17,377. We are way ahead of schedule and we intend to set our budget so as to erase that debt completely within the next two years at most. We appreciate the the City provided us with that lifeline in a time of need, and we want to reward the public's goodwill by paying it off in an aggressive manner, as a thank-you and a sign of proof that their faith in us was well founded."

The total accumulated debt two years ago had reached $131,000 and it is now reduced to $80,000 and shrinking.

"We are not out of the woods by any stretch, that debt is a major priority to erase, and we must diligently stick to the budget numbers we have set for ourselves in 2017-18, and going forward, but the diligence is paying off once the intervention happened," Saunders said.

The turnabout came through a number of austerity measures.

For one, the organization reduced staff to a bare minimum.

Secondly, the orchestra turned to its existing library of music charts with which to build a season of shows instead of paying for open-market music.

Likewise, instead of paying the flights and accommodation costs of flying in numerous musicians to supplement the local ones, it was decided to only spend money on a very few key import players and soloists. The Ramada Hotel stepped in as a major symphony sponsor to further reduce that cost.

Office supplies were scrimped on, less space was rented for their gear, their bank worked with them to streamline banking fees, a new ticket sales arrangement resulted in big savings, etc.

Line by line, the board scrutinized the budget and froze spending wherever possible. That runs certain risks. For example, a reduction in import players means less pomp on the stage. Would the audience turn against that? Would sponsors?

As it turned out, no. Revenues have instead surged. Saunders said the audience understood the predicament and joined the organization's goals of short-term squeezes for long-term benefits. And sponsors appreciated the sharp pencils and took heart, by signing on as partners more than in recent years.

"They could see that it would not by good money after bad. We were being fiscally very responsible and still managing to put a high-calibre performance product on the stage, and having Michael there has been amazing, because his presence means we will provide an even better concert series going forward, in tandem with our fantastic musicians."

The work of obtaining new sponsors continues but "the key to those partnerships is trust and we are showing our trustworthiness with the season we have underway, and the righting of the financial ship," Saunders said.

The orchestra is in need of four professional core players (viola, flute, second violin, cello) which will further help stabilize the organization. Saunders also called on any local musicians with orchestral skills to feel encouraged about calling in to talk about potentially joining the PGSO's local ranks.

The most sustainable pathway forward, she explained, wasn't just to play some amazing concerts every year, it was to be a leader in the overall music scene in the region. The more the local music education and amateur performance systems could be strengthened, the better off the PGSO would be from an artistic point of view, and in turn the better the orchestra would then be able to do their part in bolstering the culture of Prince George.

"We are cautiously optimistic that we are on the road to the PGSO being here, thriving, forever," she said. "We know we provide an important service to the community. It is a circle we think is valuable to the city as a whole, and we have to earn that every time. We are not entitled to an audience or a sponsor of the goodwill of City Hall. We have to demonstrate our value. We are so excited to be on good ground to do that right now and provide something to this city that helps set it apart from other communities, and help us all move forward in our goals for Prince George as a wonderful place to live and raise a family and enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle."

The next PGSO concert is Nov. 25 at the Prince George Playhouse at 7:30 p.m. with spirits and appetizers as part of the entertainment experience. Special guest soloist is Prince George's own violin star Jose Delgado-Guevara.

The orchestra will perform four feature pieces:

Beethoven: Symphony No. 2

Mendelssohn: The Hebrides

Saint-Saen: Havanaise

Svensend: Romanze