Pacific Symphony Concludes Season in the Black

SANTA ANA — The Pacific Symphony finished fiscal 1997 with a balanced budget, the orchestra announced Friday. Operating revenues and expenditures each came to just less than $7.3 million.

“We are solidly in the black for the sixth season in a row,” executive director Louis G. Spisto said. “We are particularly pleased that revenue from both tickets sales and contributed support increased.”

Ticket revenue was about $3.7 million, up 5% from last year, with sales for the classics series increasing to $1.07 million from $983,000; sales for pops concerts rose to $1.51 million from $1.41 million; sales for the orchestra’s summer concerts at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre also increased, to $722,000 from $668,000. The remainder of the revenue came from concerts that were part of the classical-connections series, two chamber music series and an annual “Messiah.”

Average paid attendance for the orchestra’s classics series decreased to 74% from 78%, but it increased for the pops series, to 84% from 80%. The classics and pops concerts are held at the 2,994-seat Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. Average paid attendance for the summer concerts at the 15,000-plus capacity amphitheater also increased slightly to 47%.

“We expanded from 18 to 20 classical concerts, so we stretched the market a bit,” Spisto said. “We’re pleased that we maintained about the same capacity, but we’ve got work to do to increase tickets sales in the future.”

Annual contributed support from individuals, corporations and foundations was $2.23 million, up 17% over the previous fiscal year. The money the orchestra brought in from its contracted services, such as playing for ballets at the center, was a little more than $1 million, a 30% increase. Other revenues were $323,000.