“We aim to increase the vitality of the entire arts community, so when tourists come to Prescott one of the things on their itinerary is an AZ Phil performance,” Flurry said.
That is the case with orchestras. To survive with lower-than-average COVID ticket sales, and fixed costs like venues and musicians, orchestras around the world need the support of their communities more than ever. Cities such as Paris, London, New York, San Francisco may be large enough to weather the various storms, but what about Prescott? A 2017 report by ABC Radio National said, “Orchestras produce a unique product, but no symphony orchestra in the world would be financially viable on its own.”
“Orchestras, like all cultural institutions, do create economic value, but that’s not their primary reason for existence,” said Macquarie University’s Professor Throsby. “Their primary reason for existence, obviously, is to make music. That means it’s a different sort of value they’re creating, which we can call cultural value or artistic value.”
Arizona Philharmonic (AZ Phil) began bringing cultural value to Prescott in 2018. It was a toddler when the pandemic shut its doors, and though it is back in operation, producing diverse, stellar performances with growing audiences, it is still looking to expand its community support. That’s where the other $30 comes from for that gourmet meal – donations and sponsors.
AZ Phil Brings Layers of Cultural Value
A self-proclaimed optimist, AZ Phil’s Executive Director Henry Flurry, a musician and composer, says “We bring a pattern of working with other organizations, such as with Dr. Joshua Harper’s Quartz Ensemble and the Margot Fonteyn Academy of Ballet. That collaboration brings multiple layers of cultural value to Prescott, intriguing and inspiring audiences, and drawing people who haven’t previously experienced orchestras. Even though our audiences are not at pre-pandemic levels, at each concert this season, 30% of them are newcomers.”
Flurry says COVID has been an opportunity for AZ Phil. “The pandemic required us to reexamine our business plan and build in resilience. Because AZ Phil is relatively new, we can tinker with the traditional orchestra model and explore a variety of genre and ensemble combinations. The results are musically brilliant and economically viable.”
Downtown Venues and Outreach Goals
In addition to diverse musical offerings, AZ Phil plans to increase its venues to include downtown sites. Making use of downtown places such as the Elks Theatre and the old Post Office would open opportunities. “I sense a growing appetite for quality classical music performances with an increased awareness of AZ Phil and our fresh approach to this venerable tradition,” added Flurry. AZ Phil is hopeful this increase in new audience members, diversity in programing and collaboration with multiple musical organizations will encourage those donor and sponsor dollars to fund the other 70% of that gourmet meal.
AZ Phil has far-reaching plans for its adulthood in Prescott and performances in Surprise. Look for year-round programming of incredibly compelling musical experiences that include outreach. “We want to see Prescott as a source of arts that does not rely on importing artists. We aim to increase the vitality of the entire arts community, so when tourists come to Prescott one of the things on their itinerary is an AZ Phil performance,” Flurry said. QCBN
By Sandy Farrell
Sandra Farrell is a former broadcast and print journalist. More recently, she was press secretary for elected officials and she retired from the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank as media manager. She and her husband and two dogs moved to Prescott a year ago and love all things Prescott. She is a volunteer with Arizona Philharmonic, AZPhil.org.
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