The Phoenix Symphony is currently facing a cash shortage so severe that it has suspended its season, leaving 66 musicians facing layoffs and the community wondering where the money went. As reported by the Phoenix New Times, the organization is seeking a $10 million infusion to reopen after years of operating deficits left it unable to meet its basic financial obligations.
The symphony’s board admitted on October 20 that they failed to raise $7 million in expected donations, creating an immediate risk that the organization could not meet its payroll. For the musicians, the news was a blindside. They entered a meeting on October 20 expecting to negotiate a new contract; instead, they were told the music was stopping and that they would be laid off by November 2.
The gap between fundraising and reality
The organization is in the midst of a $60 million “Crescendo” campaign, yet the board has not revealed how much of that money has actually been raised. More importantly, much of the funding from such capital campaigns is restricted and cannot be used to cover the day-to-day operating expenses that are currently bleeding the organization dry.
Annual operating expenses sit at roughly $14 million. The bulk of that—$9.5 million—goes toward artistic expenses, which include musician salaries, production costs, and the rent for Symphony Hall. To put the “cash shortage” in perspective, the board’s own update describes a situation where the symphony spent more than it earned for years, relying on creative accounting and luck to make ends meet until the funds simply ran out.
| Expense Category | Annual Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Total Operating Expenses | $14 Million |
| Artistic Expenses (Salaries, Rent, Production) | $9.5 Million |
| Required Infusion to Reopen | $10 Million |
The human cost is stark. Full-time musicians earn between $47,000 and $64,000 a year for a 35-week season. While some hold side jobs, Bridget Pasker, the associate principal cello, notes that there is a limit to how many salary cuts a professional can take and still afford to live.
A sudden silence in a new era
The symphony recently invested in its future, hiring a new music director, Paolo Bortolameolli, a principal pops conductor, Stuart Chafetz, and a vice president of development, Naquana Borrero. They even brought on new musicians just as the floor fell out from under them.
The musicians have pointed to CEO Peter Kjome as a positive force, noting that ticket sales and contributed revenue increased during his three-and-a-half-year tenure. While Kjome was CEO of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2019 during a contentious 16-week lockout, the musicians believe the current crisis is a failure of the board rather than executive leadership.
“There’s a lot of words without saying a whole lot,” says Bridget Pasker regarding the board’s public updates.
The board maintains they are working “day and night” to find a sustainable path forward, but they have yet to provide a timeline for a restart or a concrete fundraising plan. This leaves critical seasonal performances in limbo, including the symphony’s role in Ballet Arizona’s “The Nutcracker.”
The civic cost of a quiet hall
The City of Phoenix recently spent $7 million updating Symphony Hall, the facility the orchestra rents. Despite this investment in the physical space, the musicians report a “notable silence” from city officials regarding the organization’s collapse.
By stopping the music, the symphony has effectively destroyed its own “product.” Without performances, there are no ticket sales and no visible success to show potential donors.
The symphony regularly performs at schools, hospice centers, and homeless shelters—community outreach that is now suspended.
As the musicians’ contracts expire on October 31, the window for a resolution is closing. The board promises a plan “soon,” but for the 66 musicians, “soon” doesn’t pay the rent.
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