Posted on: Sunday, October 19, 2003
EDITORIAL
Symphony did its part; it's community's turn
Honolulu residents may have become a bit jaded over "crisis" news regarding the chronically underfunded Honolulu Symphony.
It seems every few years there are ominous signs that the symphony is about to collapse and go away forever, after an illustrious history that has lasted more than a century.
And each time, someone somewhere comes up with a solution that allows the music to continue.
But don't kid yourself. The financial and operational problems facing the symphony and its dedicated corps of 63 full-time and 20 part-time musicians are real.
Honolulu is fortunate to have a full-time professional symphony. Cities with larger population bases to draw from are struggling, as staff writer Michael Tsai reported last week.
But it has become apparent that there just isn't the revenue base to support the symphony without outside help. This can come in several forms:
• The symphony deserves greater support from the general community, even among those who rarely if ever go to a classical music concert.
Having a viable symphony here means there is a corps of talented, professional musicians who share its talents in countless ways. Musicians tutor, they share their experience in public and private school classrooms, they are available for churches, commercial shows, private entertainments and more.
Without the symphony, all that would be lost.
• While the days of substantial government support for the symphony may be over, there is still much the public sector can do. One key issue is giving the symphony as much flexibility in scheduling and venues as is practical. The Blaisdell Concert Hall was built with the symphony in mind, but there are times when it must forgo optimum scheduling opportunities because there are competing attractions.
The mayor and the City Council must step in and ensure that the symphony can program a season that makes the best sense possible, both financially and artistically.
The current "crisis" was resolved in part by the tremendous generosity of a handful of board members who came up with a total of $2.1 million.
That generosity was conditioned on an agreement by musicians and professional staff to take a 20 percent pay cut next year along with a pay freeze in the fourth year of the current five-year contract. Symphony managers and conductors volunteered for a similar pay cut.
That is a huge sacrifice by these talented professionals who have to work two or more jobs to make ends meet.
The board has given. The musicians have given — in spades. It is time for the community to step up.
A vibrant symphony — along with all the other musical and educational benefits these musicians bring — is a critical part of a lively cultural environment that draws visitors and makes this an attractive place to live and work.
