Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra announces successful

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Major progress made in ticket sales, attendance and attracting new audiences Highest ticket revenue for all concerts in a decade and largest total attendance since 2002

The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra recently concluded its 2009/2010 season. It marks the second season since implementation of the SLSO’s Building Our Business plan launched in June 2008 and targeted heavily on audience development. In key areas, significant progress was made:

Key Statistics Total ticket revenues and paid attendance for all concerts at Powell Hall for the 2009-10 Season (110 concerts) as compared with prior year - 2008-09 Season (109 concerts)

  • $6.47m – up 16% or $890,000
  • 197,107 seats sold – up 10.2% or 18,270 seats
  • 1,792 Avg. attendance per concert – up 9.2% or 151 seats
  • 35% or 39 concerts had 2,000 or more seats sold

Total ticket revenues and paid attendance for classical Orchestral Series concerts (60 classical subscription concerts) for the 2009-10 Season as compared with prior year - 2008-09 Season (60 classical subscription concerts), representing first year of classical ticket revenue growth since 2003

  • $3.99m – up 7.3% or $272,000
  • 100,485 seats sold – up 6% or 5,637 seats
  • 1,675 Avg. attendance per concert – up 6% or 94 seats
  • 25% or 15 concerts had 2,000 or more seats sold

New buyers highly prevalent in two main product lines in 2009-10 – Orchestral Series and SLSO Presents

  • 50% of SLSO Presents purchases represent new buyers
  • 43% of Orchestral Series single ticket purchases represent new buyers

Total ticket revenues and paid attendance growth over a two-year period for all concerts at Powell Hall for the 2009-10 Season (110 concerts) as compared with 2007-08 Season (109 concerts), turning around five years of sales and attendance declines

  • $6.47m – up 33.7% or $1.63m
  • 197,107 seats sold – up 18.8% or 31,242 seats
  • 1,792 Avg. attendance per concert – up 17.7% or 270 seats
“The 2009-2010 Season, the second season since the launch of our Building Our Business plan, has allowed us to build on initial progress made in 2008-09 and make even deeper inroads in audience development as witnessed by double-digit revenue growth, significant upward trends in attendance, and unprecedented acquisition of new customers while continuing to build the artistic profile of the orchestra,” said Fred Bronstein , President & Executive Director of the SLSO.

The orchestra’s 130th season included a two-week Beethoven festival and a spring focus on outstanding violinists; audience favorites like Handel’s Messiah, Holst’s The Planets, and Mozart’s Requiem, and highly innovative commissioned projects by Meredith Monk and Rollo Dilworth as well as major 20th-century works like Tippett’s monumental A Child of Our Time. SLSO Presents expanded with additional specials including movie-based performances and animation-inspired specials like The Blue Planet, The Movie Music of John William s, The Magical Music of Walt Disney, Bugs Bunny on Broadway and more including a special performance by Liza Minnelli.

During the 2009-10 Season, the orchestra’s profile outside of Saint Louis has also been enhanced by expanded touring that included the SLSO’s annual appearance at Carnegie Hall, and a major four-city, five-concert California tour including stops at LA’s Walt Disney Concert Hall and San Francisco’s Davies Hall, the first such tour for the orchestra since 1999.

Complete financial results from FY10 will be reported following the close of the fiscal year on August 31, 2010.

Founded in 1880, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is the second-oldest orchestra in the country and is widely considered one of the world’s finest. In September 2005, internationally acclaimed conductor David Robertson became the 12th Music Director and second American-born conductor in the Orchestra’s history. Currently in the 130th season - the SLSO continues to strive for artistic excellence, fiscal responsibility and community connection. In addition to its regular concert performances at Powell Hall, the SLSO is an integral part of the St. Louis community, presenting more than 250 free education and community partnership programs each year. In June 2008, the SLSO launched Building Our Business which takes a proactive, two-pronged approach: build audiences and re-invigorate the SLSO brand making the SLSO and Powell Hall the place to be; and build the base for enhanced institutional commitment and donations. This is all part of a larger strategic plan adopted in May 2009 that includes new core ideology and a 10-year strategic vision focusing on artistic and institutional excellence, doubling the existing audience, and revenue growth across all key operating areas.

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