The Kansas City Star reports that the Kansas City Symphony‘s subscription sales for next season are up over last year’s record increases, and that major new outreach plans are in the works to revitalize the orchestra.
The upcoming season is [Michael] Stern’s fourth as music director, and the conductor said the ensemble’s artistic growth has been far more rapid than he expected.
“We’re in fantastic shape. It’s never been so clear how really quickly we’ve moved forward,†he said. “I think you’re hearing a difference from week to week. There’s so much good energy on stage.â€
The Symphony’s recent rise is bucking national trends and has drawn not just larger but younger and more diverse audiences.
Subscription revenue so far this season is up 7 percent from last season’s record high, which was up 20 percent from the previous year. By September 2007 the orchestra had swelled its endowment to $40 million, nearly double what it was in 2004-2005.
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