Money woes fail to silence the philharmonic

Bardavon’s deal saved orchestra from folding

By Carol Trapani
Poughkeepsie Journal

The orchestra that originated as the Dutchess County Philharmonic in 1936 filed for bankruptcy protection, more than $600,000 in debt because of a failed concert season at the Island Green Country Club in Amenia last summer. In June, a U.S. bankruptcy court in Poughkeepsie ruled that the orchestra’s assets could be purchased for $125,000 by the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie. The Bardavon does not assume any of HVP’s debts.

As a result, the Bardavon, and other venues, will not be bereft of the glorious sounds of Mozart, Copland, Beethoven and other composers, as performed by the Hudson Valley’s own orchestra.

‘‘Our intention is to keep it going. The important thing is that it’s alive and we intend to keep it that way,’’ said Chris Silva, executive director of the Bardavon.

Community’s desire wins

‘‘We did a lot of due diligence and thinking about whether to take on the operation because it’s a major addition to our activities,’’ said Bardavon board President Eugene Fleishman. ‘‘It almost doubled the scope of our activities budget-wise ... but there was a desire among most of us to undertake it because the community wanted the philharmonic to survive.’’

The Dyson Foundation, a Millbrook-based charity that has funded numerous arts and educational institutions in the region, gave the Bardavon the $125,000 it needed to purchase the orchestra’s assets, Fleishman said.

The worst is behind the orchestra, said HVP Musical Director and Conductor Randall Craig Fleischer. ‘‘We’re still alive and still playing concerts this season and for awhile it wasn’t clear that was going to happen. There’s been support in every direction from everybody.’’

Concert season opens

The HVP’s 1999-2000 season began with a July 2 concert and fireworks display at the Fountains in Millbrook. Its fall season is scheduled to begin Oct. 16, with five symphony concerts planned at the Bardavon.

The orchestra got into financial trouble because of a contract it signed with Frank Zarro and American Pastime, the then-owner of Island Green. The HVP was to be paid for its production and marketing expenses. Zarro has not paid those expenses and the HVP Society Inc. continues to pursue payment through lawsuits.

The Hudson Valley Philharmonic grew from an organization with a $7,000 budget in its initial 1959-1960 season to one with a budget of $1 million in 1999.

But it was no stranger to money woes. During its 1988-89 season, it paid a $300,000 deficit by borrowing from its $1 million endowment. It cut staff and reduced the number of symphony and pops concerts. Its chamber series was eventually canceled and its youth orchestra and music school were transferred to local colleges.

The orchestra will move to expand its programming after a year is spent stabilizing it, Silva said.

‘‘Our biggest focus will be on returning to (performances in) Ulster and Orange counties. The first year we’re not planning to go there at all because historically that’s been a financial loss.’’

Collaborations planned

Silva said he and Fleischer will collaborate on the pops, new wave and young people’s concerts.

‘‘Randy is still the musical director and Randy makes the major choices about what the symphony programs are,’’ Silva said. ‘‘There’s a real nice collaboration that already exists. The public wants to hear the classics and that’s what we’re going to give them.’’

But Silva said a major challenge the HVP will face in the future is creating new audiences, something virtually every artistic venue needs to do to survive.

‘‘The orchestra is capable of an extra high level of artistic quality and it is probably capable of increasing the scope of its performance series,’’ Fleischer said, adding that he saw possibilities for more concerts, more concerts for children, more creativity.