CSO Update from President Trey Devey

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra president Trey Devey

In an E-news mailing to Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra subscribers and friends late Thursday (Feb. 11), CSO president Trey Devey answered some of the questions buzzing around the CSO in light of important issues facing the orchestra, specifically:

What are the implications of Louise Dieterle Nippert's gift of $85 million to the CSO in December?

Where do the long-anticipated plans to renovate Music Hall stand?

What is being done to replace music director Paavo Järvi and Cincinnati Pops conductor Erich Kunzel?  (Järvi announced January 7 that he will leave the orchestra when his contract expires at the end of the 2010-2011 season.  Kunzel died September 1.)

Devey, who has been on the job since January, 2009, addressed each of these issues in his statement:

• The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, announced December 10, will stabilize the orchestra for the immediate future.  The money, $10 million of which is earmarked for Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Ballet on the condition that they continue to utilize the CSO, will function as an endowment and contribute $3 million annually to the orchestra's bottom line.  This is about to eight percent of the CSO's annual budget, Devey said, leaving the remaining 92 percent to be raised from other sources.  Mrs. Nippert's generosity has stimulated significant additional giving thus far, including a $150,000 challenge grant from the Luther Charitable Foundation, also in December.
  

•  The renovation of Music Hall is being handled by a Working Group comprising representatives of the hall's tenant organizations, the CSO, Opera, Ballet, May Festival and Society for the Preservation of Music Hall.  Overall leadership is provided by the Cincinnati Arts Association, which manages Music Hall on behalf of the City of Cincinnati, which owns the hall.  Work on Music Hall is expected to begin after the 2011 May Festival and continue for approximately 17 months.  Music Hall will be closed during that time.  Cincinnati Opera will perform at the Aronoff Center for the Arts in 2011 and 2012.  The CSO and Pops will seek alternative venues in the community.  The cost of individual components of the project have been estimated and prioritized (no figures were provided in the statement).  However, the final cost will depend on the scope of the project and the funds available. Proposals to build a new hall for the CSO have been shelved at this time.  Järvi's departure in 2011 will not delay the renovation.
  

• The music director and pops conductor search committees are headed by CSO board  members Ann Santen and Jack Rouse, respectively.  Members of the music director search committee have yet to be named.  The pops conductor search committee has met and is already at work.  No time lines have been set for either search. Public input is welcome regarding both of these searches.
  

Further information about the CSO is available at its web site www.cincinnatisymphony.org