B U F FA L O P H I L H A R M O N I C O R C H E S T R A
REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY
REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY
BUFFALO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Dear Friends of the BPO, It is hard to know where to begin to talk about the challenges and accomplishments of the 2020-21 season, but the one thing we know is that your orchestra not only persevered, it has come out stronger. As it became clear the pandemic was not going away so quickly and mandates shut down so much of our world, our strategic goals, while remaining consistent, had to be articulated as questions to be answered; problems to solve: · H ow could we maintain, let alone grow our audience without live concerts? · H ow could we advance the artistry when we were unable to utilize the full orchestra or bring in guest artists? · H ow could we operate with excellence when there was no way to generate earned revenue through ticket sales? · H ow could we stay relevant and beneficial to our community? This year’s Report to the Community will outline some of the most important achievements as to how we answered these questions. Through all of it, it was you, our loyal patrons, that carried the day. Your support did not waver, and for that we are eternally grateful. We applaud the bravery, resilience and creativity of our outstanding musicians and staff. Their determination and dedication made it possible to fulfill our mission under the most trying of circumstances. We also thank our thoughtful and generous Trustees who continue to help guide the organization through these turbulent times. While it may be some time before we ever return to something approaching normal, we know that the BPO will be here, enriching our community as it has done for nearly 90 years now. We look forward to seeing you at a concert soon! Warm regards, John Yurtchuk
JoAnn Falletta
Chair, Board of Trustees Music Director
B U F F A L O
P H I L H A R M O N I C
Daniel Hart
President & Executive Director
O R C H E S T R A
786 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, New York, 14209 • (716) 885 0331 • bpo.org
T H E B P O PA N D E M I C J O U R N E Y S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AU G U S T 2 0 2 1
How did we answer the challenge? WE DOVE HEADFIRST INTO THE DIGITAL WORLD The “Summer Sessions” kicked off our pivot as musicians in various ensembles presented 13 works in three free concert streams as a prelude to the season. Other programs followed:
BPOnDemand
• 28 Classics and Pops concerts captured and streamed over the course of the season • 40,000 “tickets” distributed to 15,000 households and 239 Symphony Scholars from 15 schools across WNY • 1,933 donations via OnDemand patrons worth $58,000
BPO Out of the Box Series
• 6 small ensemble performances filmed in historic locations o Silo City o Graycliff o Niagara Falls State Park o Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House o Buffalo City Hall o Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens • 15,258 views
Gift to the Community Videos with Concert Excerpts
• 8 special occasions • Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, etc. • 14,323 views
BPO YouTube Channel
• Various programs were archived online for all to see • We ended up with 1,412 subscribers to the channel
WE CHALLENGED OURSELVES WITH DIFFERENT REPERTOIRE AND ARTISTS
Distancing created the opportunity to explore new works for smaller ensembles and a renewed focus on featured works by composers of color: • Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst • Ulysses Kay’s Pieta featuring English hornist Anna Mattix • William Grant Still’s Mother and Child for String Orchestra • Bologne de Saint-George’s Violin Concerto with Randall Goosby • George Walker’s, Lyric for Strings Pops programs were as present as always • Back to Broadway • Nothin’ But The Blues • Ragtime Kings • Havana Nights
WE ENHANCED OUR REPUTATION
BPO won yet another GRAMMY
• “Best Outstanding Choral Performance” for Richard Danielpour’s The Passion of Yeshua • Florent Schmitt recording on Naxos won the prestigious Diapason d’Or award from Diapason Magazine in France • We released our 54th recording on Beau Fleuve label, The Four Seasons featuring Concertmaster Nikki Chooi and Tessa Lark
WE CREATED AN ONLINE “HUB” FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Music for Youth Education Hub
• Five thematic units tied to classroom learning: Musical Stories, American Voices, World Dances, Classical Virtuosos, Celebrating WNY • 215 Schools registered for access over the season • We had 1,198 distinct views • For an estimated viewership of ~20,000 Content also included:
Peter and the Wolf in English and Spanish, Pedro y el Lobo Our annual side-by-side partnership with Buffalo
Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts #PlayOnWNY
• 76 Educational videos produced • Musicians created instrument demos, beginner’s tool-kits, play-along practice videos, and instrument technique demos • 20 participating musicians • 16,350 views
West Side Connection
• Concert content developed and distributed to 13 West Side schools • Poet Brandon Williamson, Sphinx Junior Competition winner violinist Esme Arias-Kim • BIPOC composers Jonathon Bailey Holland, Valerie Coleman, Gabriela Lena Frank • 1,500 students reached Plus, our BPO Teaching Artists continued full steam ahead thanks to ZOOM • 83 unique presentations by 7 musicians • 7 schools and 5 community centers • 2,418 attendees
WE PREPARED FOR AND WELCOMED THE RETURN OF AUDIENCES As mandates were relaxed in April, the BPO performed for live audiences for the first time in 12 months. • 10 concerts performed for live audiences over 2 ½ months • 1,998 patrons with socially distanced seating A reimagined summer schedule consisted of 12 concerts over 8 weeks • Summer pop-op concerts at community centers: Belle Center, Seneca Street CDC, Grace Guest House, OLV Human Services • A tour of the Olmsted Parks concerts featuring BPO Brass and Percussion • Appearances at Ellicottville, Old Fort Niagara, Batavia Downs, Clarence Town Center, Niawanda and Bassett Park • Season Finale at Artpark
2020-21 Financial Results (unaudited as of Dec 31, 2021)
Budget $9.8M
Earned revenues fell to 8% of budget but the dramatic loss was more than made up by federal government assistance programs, resulting in another balanced year.
Artistic 64%
Endowment Income 19%
Production/ Education 10%
Contributed Revenue 35%
Marketing 8% Earned Revenue 8%
Government Support 38%
Fundraising 8%
Administration 10%
Program Reach / Digital Views 114,500
Teaching Artists 2,500 Live Audiences (KMH & Summer) 10,000
#PlayOnWNY 16,000
BPOnDemand 40,000 Gift to the Community Videos 14,000 Out of the Box 12,000 The Hub Music for Youth 20,000
For access to the BPO’s annual audit and 990s visit bpo.org.
Mission Statement The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society, Inc. provides a resident professional, major symphony orchestra of artistic excellence and integrity to enrich the quality of life in Western New York through the presentation of live symphonic music and other musical events which educate and entertain the broadest possible audiences within and beyond the Western New York region.
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Society, Inc. | 2020-21 Board of Trustees • John Yurtchuk-Chair • Scott Stenclik-Vice Chair/Chair Elect • Angelo Fatta-Treasurer • • Peter Eliopoulos-Secretary • Cindy Abbott Letro • Douglas Bean • Jonathan Borden* • • Janz Castelo* • Anne Conable • Stephen B. Edge, MD+ • Otis N. Glover † • Amy Habib Rittling • • Jim Hettich • Mark Hodges* • Kate Holzemer* • James Iglewski • William Keefer • • Ronald Luczak • Alex Montante • Allan C. Ripley+ • Casimiro D. Rodriguez, Sr. • • Rev. Melody I. Rutherford • Diana Sachs+ • Robin G. Schulze, PhD • Joseph Sedita • • Brett Shurtliffe+ • Karen Sperrazza • Christine Standish • Stephen T. Swift • John Zak+ • + ex-officio * musician †deceased
The BPO is grateful for generous support from: Erie County