TONIGHT WE CONTINUE NOW WITH OUR SPOTLIGHT SERIES WITH J DANIEL PLUFF.

THE SERIES HIGHLIGHTS BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE DOING SOMETHING SPECIAL IN OUR AREA.

CENTRAL NEW YORK IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE SEVERAL VIBRANT OPTIONS FOR ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT THROUGHOUT OUR REGION.

ONE OF THOSE OPTIONS IS THE SYRACUSE ORCHESTRA - FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE SYRACUSE SYMPHONY.

FOUNDED OVER SIXTY YEARS AGO, THE ORCHESTRA PLAYS REGULARLY AT ITS CROUSE HINDS THEATRE HOME.

BUT IT ALSO TAKES ITS SHOW ON THE ROAD, PLAYING VENUES THROUGHOUT CENTRAL NEW YORK AND BRINGING TOP QUALITY CONCERTS TO A VARIETY OF NEW AUDIENCES.

BUT THE ORCHESTRA HAS EXPERIENCED SOME TOUGH TIMES AND THERE WERE MOMENTS WHEN IT APPEARED IT WOULD BE FORCED TO SHUT DOWN.

FORTUNATELY, - THAT WAS NOT THE CASE.

OUR J. DANIEL PLUFF MET WITH MUSICIAN AND ORCHESTRA BOARD MEMBER JON GARLAND ALONG WITH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PAM MURCHISON WHO'S COMBINED ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM GAVE US A CLEAR VISION OF THE ORCHESTRA'S FUTURE.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HOSTING US HERE.

THEY SENT ME ON SOME NEAT SHOTS BEFORE BUT HERE WE ARE SITTING AT THE CROUSE HYNES THEATER.

THE PLACE TO OURSELVES.

CAN I GO ON STAGE LATER.

>> THOSE ARE THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE, SO, YEAH.

>> I'M REALLY A NOVICE WHEN IT COMES TO ACOUSTICS AND ALL OF THAT, BUT IS THIS FACILITY MAYBE THE BEST VENUE FOR THE SYMPHONY?

IS THE SOUND QUALITY GOOD HERE?

>> IT'S EXCELLENT.

I THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR THE AUDIENCE.

I THINK THE ORCHESTRA MUSICIANS REALLY ENJOY BEING ON THE STAGE AND WITH-- SO WHEN WE GO TO VENUES THAT ARE NOT CROUSE HYNES, THE ORCHESTRA HAS A PRETTY BIG FOOTPRINT SO WE NEED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SPACE TO GET ALL THE MUSICIANS TOGETHER BUT THE STAGE HERE PROVIDES US WITH A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY.

>> HOW BIG IS THE ORCHESTRA RIGHT NOW.

HOW MEMBERS DO HAVE YOU?

>> WE HAVE 48 FULL-TIME MUSICIANS.

>> IS THAT ENOUGH?

>> NO.

WE HAVE FIVE PART-TIME MUSICIANS WHO ARE ALL CONTRACTED.

AND THEN EVERY YEAR WE ENGAGE ABOUT ANOTHER 175 MUSICIANS FROM THE LOCAL 78 TO COME AND AUGMENT THE ORCHESTRA.

>> SO IS IT STEAF SAFE TO SAY THAT 1975 PERIOD THROUGH THE EARLY 80s, THAT WAS PROBABLY THE HEYDAY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE BIGGER CROWDS COMING IN, FINANCIALLY STABLE ORCHESTRA.

THEN WE HIT YEARS LIKE 1992, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE THE SEASON GETS CUT SHORT BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL ISSUES AND WHAT HAVE YOU COME ROUGHLY AGAIN 2011.

WE HIT ESSENTIALLY THE SYMPHONY FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY.

>> SURE.

>> I'M HEARING THINGS LIKE YOU HAD AN UNDERFUNDED PENSION, THIS AND THAT.

WHAT WERE THE DRIVERS, WHAT CAUSED THAT FINAL PUSH TO BANKRUPTCY.

>> SO I THINK IT WAS PROBLEMATIC.

THE 90s WERE TOUGH.

AND ORCHESTRAS HAVE A REALLY INTERESTING BUSINESS MODEL BECAUSE EVERYTHING WE DO IS PEOPLE RUN.

>> YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK BACK TO 2008 AND SOME OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS THAT WAS HAPPENING AT THAT TIME.

>> I DO.

>> YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A DELAYED REACTION IN SOME OF THOSE THINGS BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LOT OF EFFORT TO KEEP THE ORCHESTRA AFLOAT AFTER THAT 2008 PERIOD.

AND ALSO I THINK SOME ASSESSMENT OF GREAT NEED.

>> BUT THE REALITY IS THE ORCHESTRA JUST WOULDN'T DIE.

THE MUSICIANS, RIGHT... YOU ARE LAUGHING BUT... >> THEY DIDN'T QUIT.

>> THE MUSICIANS CAME TOGETHER, KEPT THINGS GOING FOR A BIT, MOMENTUM STARTED TO BUILD AGAIN.

I MEAN THAT WAS KIND OF NEAT.

>> IT WAS AMAZING.

I WASN'T IN SYRACUSE AT THE TIME BUT CERTAINLY WORKING IN THE ORCHESTRA INDUSTRY AND OTHER PLACES AND EVERYBODY SORT OF FOLLOWING WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

AND I THINK JOHN WAS REALLY CENTRAL TO THAT REBIRTH.

AND THE COMMUNITY REALLY CAME FORWARD.

>> TEMPORARILY NAMED SIM SYMPHORIA AND NOW SYRACUSE ORCHESTRA TO INDICATE THAT WE ARE ON A DIFFERENT PATH.

CAN I MAKE THAT ASSUMPTION?

>> SURE.

>> YEAH, I THINK SO.

THE SYMPHORIA NAME WAS AN EXPERIENCE USUALLY KIND OF NAME, INTENDED TO CAPTURE SOME OF THE FEELING THAT MAYBE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE AFTER ATTENDING A PERFORMANCE.

>> SO, PAM, AS I HAVE TO DO ON THIS SHOW, LET'S TALK MONEY FOR A MINUTE, OKAY?

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO RUN THE ORCHESTRA?

WHAT IS THE ANNUAL BUDGET HERE?

WHAT ARE THE COSTS?

>> OUR BUDGET FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR EXPENSES ARE JUST SHY OF $4 MILLION.

AND WE HAVE ABOUT A 60-40 SPLIT BETWEEN CONTRIBUTED INCOME AND EARNED REVENUE, WHICH WOULD BE OUR TICKET SALES AND... >> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT.

ARE WE COMFORTABLE FINANCIALLY?

ARE WE STABLE AT THIS POINT AS FAR AS THINGS GO FINANCIALLY?

>> YES, THE BOARD IS WORKING ON A VERY SPECIFIC PLAN.

WE STILL HAVE VERY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESERVES FROM A COUPLE OF WINDFALL GIFTS THAT CAME IN.

ALSO FROM THE LOCAL AND FEDERAL FUNDING THROUGH COVID.

>> ON THE REVENUE SIDE, TICKET SALES, LET'S JUST CALL IT THAT, AS A SOURCE OF REVENUE.

WHAT ELSE COMES IN?

GRANTS, FUNDING?

WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM?

>> WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE.

WE GET REGULAR SUPPORT AND SECURE SUPPORT FROM THE SYRACUSE SYMPHONY FOUNDATION AND ACTUALLY FROM ONONDAGA COUNTY THROUGH CNY ARTS.

WE DO GET SOME OTHER FEDERAL GRANTS, A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS.

A LOT FROM INDIVIDUAL DONORS.

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING LANDSCAPE, I THINK, IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT NOW.

SO WE HAVE TO APPROACH THE FUNDRAISING AND SOME OF OUR OUTREACH TO FOLKS DIFFERENTLY.

>> JOHN HAS LED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NETFLIX-STYLE SUBSCRIPTION THAT REALLY IS CUTTING EDGE IN THE INDUSTRY.

WE'VE GONE TO CONFERENCES AND TALKED ABOUT IT AND GUIDED OTHER ORCHESTRAS THROUGH IT.

AND REALLY JUST POISING THE ORCHESTRA SO THAT THE COMMUNITY SEES IT HOW WE SEE IT, WHICH IS A RACE HORSE FOR EVERYBODY.

WHEN OUR AUDIENCE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON LOOKS LIKE THE COMMUNITY, WE'LL KNOW THAT WE ARE, IN FACT THE COMMUNITY'S ORCHESTRA.

>> HOW MANY CONCERTS ARE WE DOING ANNUALLY NOW.

>> WE HAVE 23 SERIES CONCERTS AND I THINK IN THE COMING YEAR WE HAVE AT LEAST ANOTHER 20 OR 30 THAT ARE NOT PART OF OUR SERIES.

SO UPWARDS OF 50 TO 60 CONCERTS A YEAR.

>> MORE THAN I THOUGHT.

>> IN ADDITION TO THE 50 OR SO FULL ORCHESTRA CONCERTS, WE ARE PRESENTING NEARLY 100 OTHER SMALLER ENSEMBLE CONCERTS.

SO WE HAVE SERVICE THAT HAPPENS IN LIBRARIES.

WE HAVE EVENTS THAT HAPPEN IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS.

WE ARE VISITING SCHOOLS WITH ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCES.

WE HAVE A RESIDENCY AT DESTINY; WHERE WE ARE TRYING OUT ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT ARTISTIC THOUGHTS, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PROGRAMMATIC THREADS TO SEE IF SOME THINGS MIGHT RESONATE WITH FOLKS THAT WE HAVEN'T TRIED GO THAT WAS GOING TO BE A QUESTION.

AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS, WHAT DO YOU DO DIFFERENTLY IF YOU ARE PLAYING MOZART, RIGHT?

>> DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXPERIENCES.

>> WHEN THE CHOICE TO GO INTO DESTINY USA WAS AN OUT OF THE BOX THOUGHT BUT WHAT IF WE JUST HAD A BIG BLANK SPACE THAT COULD BE WHATEVER WE WANTED IT TO BE.

WE LOOKED AROUND AND TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AND HAD SOMEONE MAKE THE RIGHT INTRODUCTION AT THE RIGHT TIME TO DESTINY, AND SO NOW WE HAVE A 20,000 SQUARE FOOT SPACE THAT IS A BLANK SLATE.

WE'VE GOT ALL SORTS OF PIPE AND DRAPE AND WE CAN MAKE IT INTO DIFFERENT LITTLE TYPES OF AREAS OR, IF WE HAVE A SMALL QUARTET, IT CAN FEEL INTIMATE.

IT CAN FEEL VERY LARGE IF WE HAVE THE WHOLE ORCHESTRA.

WE ARE GOING TO OFFER YOAG, WITH LIVE MUSIC THERE.

>> YOU WON'T GET ME TO AT THAT TIME PARTICULAR VENUE.

>> THAT'S OKAY.

BECAUSE NOT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS FOR EVERYBODY.

BUT WE AIM TO HAVE SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY.

>> I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET MAD AT ME BUT LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION.

WHEN YOU THINK OF SYMPHONIES, BIG ORCHESTRAS, YOU THINK OF THE PHILADELPHIA PHILHARMONIC, NEW YORK, BOSTON.

SYRACUSE IS NOT AL THAT ALL THAT BIG.

DO WE NEED AN ORCHESTRA HERE?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

WHY DOES SYRACUSE NOT DESERVE TO HAVE WHAT NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA AND CHICAGO HAVE.

>> DO WE HAVE THE MEANS TO SUPPORT IT?

>> YES.

THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WE ARE DOING IN THIS COMMUNITY ON THE BUDGET SIZE THAT WE HAVE DEVISED, ABSOLUTELY, AND YOU KNOW, NOW IS A PERIOD OF GROWTH FOR THE COMMUNITY.

>> WHAT KIND OF IMPACT DO YOU SUPPOSE THE SYMPHONY OR THE ORCHESTRA MAKES ECONOMICALLY.

>> WE DON'T HAVE TO SUPPOSE.

THERE IS A RESOURCE PROVIDED BY AMERICA FOR THE ARTS AND THE INVESTMENT THIS COMMUNITY MAKES IS RETURNED THREE TO ONE ON WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO.

>> THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.

>> WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CONCERN THOUGH GOING FORWARD WITH THE ORCHESTRA?

>> I THINK THIS WILL ALWAYS BE MY BIGGEST CONCERN.

WHATEVER STAGE OF THE STOCK MARKET HAS ITS UPS AND DOWNS, IS REALLY JUST PRESERVING AND STEWARDING THIS COMMUNITY RESOURCE AND COMMUNITY SUPPORTED RESOURCE FOR THE FUTURE.

>> OKAY, SO IF I CAME BACK IN FIVE YEARS, WE COULD HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT YOU ARE STILL HERE, THE ORCHESTRA IS DOING WELL?

>> >> THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE.

WHAT WE ARE DOING IS RELEVANT.

>> JOHN WAS TALKING ABOUT THE INTANGIBLE FEELING OF BEING IN A SPACE.

AND I REMEMBER IT WAS MY FIRST SEASON HERE.

WE DID THIS INCREDIBLE CONCERT AND I WAS SITTING WITH MY HUSBAND IN ROW Q WHICH IS MOST OF THE WAY BACK BUT CAN I GET TO MY SEAT EASILY IF I DO THE CURTAIN SPEECH.

THERE WAS A WOMAN SITTING IN FRONT OF ME AT THE TIME, 98 YEARS OLD.

HAD A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE GETTING AROUND, BUT PEOPLE LIKE WERE ON THEIR FEET JUST GOING NUTS.

AND I SAW HER GRAB THE COLUMN AND PULL HERSELF UP BECAUSE SHE HAD TO STAND, TOO.

SHE WAS SO MOVED.

AND WHEN YOU GET, EVEN FOR THAT MOMENT, TO SHARE THAT MOMENT WITH HER AND SEE HER BE A PART OF THAT, THAT NEED FOR THAT FEELING OF CONNECTION IS NEVER GOING TO GO AWAY.

AND I WOULD SAY WE BROABL NEED IT MORE THAN-- PROBABLY NEED IT NOW MORE THAN EVER.

THAT'S THE WHY.

>> I LOVE THE STORY.

I LOVE THE ENTHUSIASM.

WE ARE GOING TO KEEP OUR EYES AND EARS ON BOTH OF YOU.

AND WISH YOU SUCCESS GOING INTO THE FLEX SEVERAL SEASONS.

BUT THANK YOU.

>> WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU