Memphis Business Journal - by Cole Epley -

At a time when many urban symphony orchestras across the nation are in danger of playing the sounds of silence instead of Stravinsky or Shostakovich, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra has a valuable lesson to teach.

Under the tutelage of music director Mei-Ann Chen and the direction of CEO Ryan Fleur, the organization has positioned itself at the forefront of a movement which more closely aligns symphonies with the communities in which they perform. The goal is not as much about playing classical music as it is about becoming an integral, indispensable part of the community.

It’s a formula that appears to be working. From fiscal year 2010 to fiscal year 2011, the orchestra experienced a 45 percent increase in the number of single tickets sold. It played seven sold-out concerts to an audience that traditionally doesn’t fill concert halls and overall contributions were up 20 percent from fiscal year 2010 to fiscal year 2011 — increasing from $2.1 million to more than $2.5 million.

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra is thriving at a time when established orchestras in cities such as Philadelphia and Louisville have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Jesse Rosen, president and CEO of the League of American Orchestras, cites the organization’s willingness to innovate and to think and work outside of the box to establish and maintain relevance in a community that is again beginning to embrace its orchestra.

“It’s about a closer alignment among what an orchestra does and a community’s needs and interests. Memphis has been very much at the forefront of that,” Rosen says.

Memphis’ orchestra was profiled in the 2010 publication, “Fearless Journeys: Innovation in Five American Orchestras,” distributed electronically via the League’s website. The case study cites the efforts and sucesses of five separate orchestras in re-connecting with communities from which, as in Memphis, they had become distanced.
“I have to say, it is scary, but it’s an honor to be ahead of the curve,” Chen says. “When I came here, the symphony was already on the national radar, trying things that other orchestras wouldn’t even dare to consider. For me, it’s an incredible experiment.”

Indeed, the organization has been lauded at home and afar for its innovative approaches to engage the community in the art form — approaches that include a scheduled Opus One Series concert with local rapper Al Kapone in the upcoming season and a music education program that has reached about 31,000 area children to date.

Nationally, many organizations are finding themselves simply too over-leveraged to afford salaries for musicians, directors and staff, although re-organization isn’t always a death knell. The Nashville Symphony went through bankruptcy in 1988 and is now thriving. Its musicians are paid a minimum of $53,000 annually plus benefits, compared to Memphis’ 36 full-time musicians, who earn a base pay of $26,000.

So, what gives in Memphis?

While ticket revenues are a small part of the bigger picture, Fleur says the community support surrounding the symphony provides crucial momentum to continue to flourish into next season and beyond. In working with the League of American Orchestras, the organization has been able to reposition itself to ensure that its product has a clear civic value.

He gives credit to the symphony’s board of directors, a group he says has been “incredibly generous and engaged” in rallying support for the organization, and is also quick to praise the profound skill of Chen, whom he refers to as “an amazingly powerful, passionate human being.”

Chen, who has found herself right at home since moving to Memphis in August 2010, fully understands the challenges and goals of the organization and is perfectly aligned to continue building from the immense popularity she and the orchestra enjoyed in her inaugural season.

When an art form is in crisis, she says, the worst that can happen is that orchestras will simply cease to exist — as has been the case in Honolulu, Hawaii, and in Syracuse, N.Y.

“That’s the worst scenario, so it’s either that or we try something new,” Chen says. “I would rather try something new.”