The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra wrapped its fiscal year that ended June 30 with a balanced budget and an operating surplus of $77,600, the organization announced during its annual meeting of members Tuesday. The balanced budget is the 28th in the past 30 years and allowed the orchestra to expand its Rainy Day Fund to $4.54 million.
The operating surplus is down from $163,393 last year. The orchestra has seen a shift away from corporate and foundation support and a 30 percent decline in ticket revenue compared to pre-pandemic. Post-pandemic, audiences nearly doubled in size, growing from 35,559 in the 2021-2022 season to 70,895 in the 2022-2023 season.
“We define success as being able to deliver at a high level on our mission to the community while maintaining our financial health,” said managing director and president Jon Limbacher in a news release. “By that definition, this past season was indeed a great success.”
Total operating expenses for the fiscal year were $10,565,362 and total operating revenue for the period was $10,642,962, increases of about $1 million to each from the previous year. The SPCO received $7,159,851 in contributed operating support from individuals, foundations, corporations and institutions.
The SPCO’s donor base was made up of 5,204 unique households, with 705 donors making recurring monthly sustaining gifts.
Accessible ticket pricing continues to be a focus for the SPCO, with 20,673 tickets sold for $15 or less. Another 12,920 tickets were distributed free, more than 60 percent of which were given to children and students as part of the SPCO’s New Generation Initiative.
The orchestra also continues to grow its online presence, streaming five performances live from the Ordway Concert Hall and adding 27 new pieces to its free on-demand video collection. The concert library received 316,657 visits during the fiscal year, with 92,318 of those from Minnesota residents. A new partnership with Twin Cities Public Television saw SPCO concerts air locally on TPT and across the state on public television stations.
The SPCO commissioned five new pieces in the season, with a commitment to commissioning and programming works by composers who have been historically underrepresented in orchestra repertoire. Two new artistic partners — South African cellist, singer and composer Abel Selaocoe and German violist Tabea Zimmermann — joined returning partners Jonathan Cohen, Richard Egarr and Rob Kapilow.
