Official: Philadelphia Orchestra is still in trouble

A report by consultant Michael Kaiser, commissioned to appease anxious musicians, has highlighted dangerous structural flaws in the high-flying Philadelphia Orchestra.

Kaiser warns that the orchestra is overly dependent on large donors, any one of whom could trigger a crisis by pulling out. He says smaller donors have been neglected and the organisations communication skills are minimal (we could have told you that).

He recommends town-hall meetings, improved fund-raising in the $25,000 to $250,000 bracket and tighter coordination between artistic plans and financial realities.

A earlier recommendation for the orchestra tom merge with the Kimmel Center where it plays has, for some reason, been dropped.

Read Peter Dobrin’s none-too-encouraging report here.