2 0 1 7/ 1 8
AN N UAL R E P OR T
The Nashville Symphony inspires, entertains and educates through excellence in musical performance.
BY THE NUMBERS 193,252 tickets sold $10.7 MILLION in ticket sales 190 performances 137 ticketed concerts at Schermerhorn Symphony Center 27 free concerts featuring the orchestra 22 performances with Nashville Ballet 4 ticketed concerts at Ascend Amphitheater
$8.2 MILLION in donations from the community 83 full-time musicians 74,000 Middle Tennesseans reached through free education and community engagement programs
64,000 hours of hands-on instruction, concerts and interactive performances provided to children and adults across the region
2 GRAMMY® Awards & 4 GRAMMY® nominations
(bringing the Nashville Symphony’s total to 13 GRAMMY® Awards and 24 nominations)
ARTISTIC HIGHLIGHTS The Nashville Symphony fulfilled its ongoing commitment to American music through: Live recordings of works by Christopher Rouse, Jonathan Leshnoff and Tobias Picker for forthcoming releases on Naxos Two new releases on Naxos: Terry Riley’s The Palmian Chord Ryddle | At the Royal Majestic Wind Concertos, featuring works by Frank Ticheli, Behzad Ranjbaran and Brad Warnaar, and featuring solo performances by principal clarinet James Zimmermann, principal flute Érik Gratton and principal horn Leslie Norton Two GRAMMY® Awards, including Best Classical Compendium and Best Classical Composition, in recognition of Jennifer Higdon’s All Things Majestic Browse a complete list of recordings at NashvilleSymphony.org/recordings. Composer and conductor John Williams joined the Nashville Symphony onstage for its sold-out opening gala concert. The second Composer Lab & Workshop showcased the work of four young composers: Emily Cooley, James Diaz, Liliya Ugay and Shen Yiwen. Led by Giancarlo Guerrero and Aaron Jay Kernis, this program provides emerging composers with the opportunity to develop their talents, gain hands-on experience working with an orchestra and showcase their work for a live audience. Learn more at NashvilleSymphony.org/ComposerLab. Highlights of the Aegis Sciences Classical Series included Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Haydn’s The Creation, Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra, Mahler’s Fifth Symphony and Verdi’s Requiem, as well as contemporary works by C.F. Kip Winger, Christopher Rouse, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jonathan Leshnoff and Enrico Chapela. Guest soloists included pianist André Watts, violinist Jennifer Koh, guitarist Jason Vieaux and cellist Johannes Moser. The new Sunday Matinee Series featured soloists Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Orli Shaham, James Ehnes and others in collaboration with the Nashville Symphony and the Nashville Symphony Chorus.
VIOLINS OF HOPE NASHVILLE Led by the Nashville Symphony and the Jewish Federation of Nashville, Violins of Hope Nashville was a community-wide initiative with 27 partners and 60 events, all revolving around a collection of restored instruments played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. Over the course of several months, this initiative drove the creation of music, visual art, theater, readings and educational activities, reaching a total of 45,000 people. The Nashville Symphony received a $20,000 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of the world premiere of Jonathan Leshnoff’s Symphony No. 4 “Heichalos,” which was recorded for forthcoming release on Naxos. The work was performed on instruments from the Violins of Hope collection. Learn more at ViolinsofHopeNashville.org.
O R G A N I Z AT I O N AL G R OW T H To plan for and respond to a changing landscape, the Nashville Symphony is in the first year of a multi-year diversity, equity and inclusion planning process, after spending a year laying the groundwork via leadership training and organizing. In recognition of this vital work, the Nashville Symphony received grant awards from the League of American Orchestras and Metro Arts, Nashville’s Office of Arts and Culture.
2
NASHVILLE SYMPHONY | 2017/18 ANNUAL REPORT
E D U C AT I O N & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT The Nashville Symphony provides an array of free education and engagement opportunities at Schermerhorn Symphony Center and throughout Middle Tennessee. Many programs align with state academic standards and provide lesson plans and other resources to participating educators. Learn more at NashvilleSymphony.org/education. Accelerando is designed to prepare gifted young students of diverse ethnic backgrounds to pursue music at the collegiate level and beyond. In the 2017/18 season, nine students participated in the program, receiving mentorship and private lessons, performance and masterclass opportunities, music theory and history coursework, and opportunities to attend summer performance workshops — all offered at no cost. The Young People’s Concerts series for students in grades K-12 reached 12,790 students over 10 concerts. Selected programs tied in to the Violins of Hope Nashville initiative, featuring music by Amy Beach, William Grant Still and John Williams. Teachers received downloadable curriculum with lesson plans and music. Symphony musicians visited schools around Middle Tennessee to offer instruction and coaching for band and orchestra students via the Sectionals program, reaching 2,381 students in total. Curb Open Dress Rehearsals offered opportunities for student groups to experience Nashville Symphony rehearsals with soloists including André Watts, Jennifer Koh and Pinchas Zukerman, reaching 1,016 attendees in total. With the Ensembles in the Schools program, which reached 1,956 students this season, Nashville Symphony musicians presented age-appropriate small-ensemble concerts for young listeners. An interactive program offered in partnership with the Country Music Hall of Fame® that explores the connections between classical and country music, Is It a Fiddle or a Violin? reached 1,000+ students. Free Day of Music, an annual event featuring more than 20 local performing groups, welcomed 11,100 people to the Schermerhorn for a full day and night of performances, all free of charge. Community Concerts brought the Nashville Symphony to outdoor locations across the mid-state area, from urban neighborhoods to outlying communities, reaching 8,600 participants. The Chamber Music Series featured small groups of Symphony musicians performing in an intimate setting, free of charge. Programs covered a wide range of repertoire, including music and stories of composers affected by the Holocaust. As part of its Family Series, the Nashville Symphony integrated support for children with sensory sensitivities. Each of the four concerts featured classical repertoire, along with flexible and accessible seating, closed captioning, learning tools, quiet spaces and trained staff.
“Our school is comprised of a wide span of cultural backgrounds, and over 53% receive free/reduced lunches. Many of our students have never heard classical music anywhere but at school in music class from a recording. The opportunity to hear classical music played live by professional musicians in such a grand venue as the Schermerhorn is invaluable.”
—Julie Duel, Johnson Elementary School, October 2017
NASHVILLE SYMPHONY | 2017/18 ANNUAL REPORT
3
N A S H V I L L E S Y M P H O N Y A S S O C I AT I O N
SOURCES OF FUNDS | 2016/17
STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION July 31, 2017 and 2016 ASSETS Current assets Cash and cash equivalents Accounts receivable Prepaid expenses and other assets Certificates of deposit Contributions receivable, net Other receivable Total current assets Noncurrent assets Certificates of deposit Contributions receivable, net Investments Beneficial interests in trusts Property and equipment, net Total noncurrent assets Total Assets
July 2017 $8,078,176 1,023,066 1,088,412 2,400,000 2,154,849 112,315 14,856,818 - 2,086,576 841,571 10,081,049 77,614,930 90,624,126 $105,480,944
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Current liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities Deferred revenues Note payable – current Total current liabilities
July 2016
805,868 6,216,741 632,192 7,654,801
$6,174,215 763,713 1,307,714 2,388,468 3,368,099 14,002,209 2,400,000 3,119,333 747,862 9,669,101 79,384,458 95,320,754
$619,367 6,040,278 650,000 7,309,645
20,000,000 20,000,000 27,654,801
20,632,192 20,632,192 27,941,837
Net assets Unrestricted Temporarily restricted Permanently restricted Total net assets
68,700,467 6,435,510 2,690,166 77,826,143
70,836,050 7,906,605 2,638,471 81,381,126
$105,480,944
$109,322,963
4
NASHVILLE SYMPHONY | 2017/18 ANNUAL REPORT
PROGRAM REVENUE
33 %
SUPPORT
3%
CA S H R E S E RV E S
USES OF FUNDS | 2016/17
$109,322,963
Long-term liabilities Note payable Total long-term liabilities Total liabilities
Total liabilities and net assets
64 %
73%
PROGRAMS
11%
A D M I N I S T R AT I V E
11%
MARKETING
5%
FUNDRAISING
T H A N K YO U TO O U R G OV E R N M E N T PA R T N E R S