“To envision a city where people couldn’t imagine not having an orchestra, that’s what I’d love to see in Buffalo,” Ms. Falletta said. “Where people, just like they couldn’t imagine not having a hospital or not having a great college in your city, they couldn’t imagine not having an orchestra...I’ve come closest to it in Buffalo.” 

The BPO is about much more than music. Music Director JoAnn Falletta understands this, and is the force behind making it a reality. The New York Times has taken note (pun intended) of the remarkable state of of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in Buffalo Philharmonic, Once Languishing, Has Come a Long Way by Zachary Woolfe in the New York Times (October, 25, 2016).

After two decades of Falletta's leadership, the BPO is in better shape than most orchestras in the nation. "The Philharmonic has balanced its budget in 11 of the past 12 years...The ensemble has also diligently worked in recent years to increase its endowment, aiming for a goal of roughly five times its annual budget of around $11 million...Most hopeful, in a season marked by labor unrest at orchestras around the country — the Philadelphia Orchestra briefly went on strike in September, and major ensembles in Pittsburgh and Fort Worth remain out of work — the Buffalo musicians received permission from their union last month to sign an unusually long (six-year) contract, a sign of both trust and wariness."

But the BPO's aging audience poses a problem. It is up to all of us to support Ms. Falletta's grand vision. It's not an onerous task--simply enjoy great music in one of the world's greatest music halls. What could be easier? See you at Kleinhans.

Read the full article here.