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The San Antonio Philharmonic has announced the cancellation of another pair of concerts. The programs scheduled for February 13 and 14 will not go on as planned.
The news comes as the Philharmonic is embroiled in a legal dispute with the Scottish Rite over payments related to renovations of the historic building.
Roberto Treviño, the Philharmonic’s executive director, said the organization had high hopes for this year’s concert programming.
"We basically felt that what we were able to achieve last season financially matched the ability to do something as spectacular, if not bigger, this season, with the same financial obligation. So we feel confident that we were headed in that direction. We still feel very confident as an organization, that some of these challenges, these setbacks are going to just be temporary, and we'll get back on our feet here very soon," Treviño said by phone.
As of now, concerts scheduled for March and beyond remain on the calendar and are still programmed at the Scottish Rite, though Treviño hinted that other options could be considered.
"We've had situations where we've had conflicts and schedules and so forth, and had to move venues as needed. And so we'll be making that decision as it comes to us."
The San Antonio Philharmonic’s next program is scheduled for March 6 and 7.
Below is our interview with Roberto Treviño on what lies ahead for the San Antonio Philharmonic.
[This transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.]
Nathan Cone: First of all, I just want to say I'm sorry to hear that the February programming is being canceled. Like the email says, I know a lot of people are looking forward to these concerts, and so that's got to be disappointing for both fans, but as well as musicians themselves.
Roberto Treviño: Yeah, yeah. I mean, this is our priority has always been to put on concerts consistently, for the community, and especially for the community musicians that live here and make San Antonio their home and make their living with the San Antonio Philharmonic. And so, you know, our stated goal, from the outset, has always been to establish some stability for musicians who have made this their career. And we have to really understand that, and appreciate that and all that everyone associated with the Philharmonic has to face with these challenges. So we're, we're working hard to, to overcome these challenges.
Cone: What's the vibe check with the organization, in the orchestra, and the music director, Jeffrey Kahane?
Treviño: Well, obviously we have our challenges, but we're up for that challenge. And I want to say that, you know, the musicians have been through quite a bit over the last several years, not just with the Philharmonic, but with the Symphony as well. And we're focused on staying positive and finding solutions to keep us out in front of the community and working hard to provide world-class music here in San Antonio.
Cone: I follow all the social media and the fundraising efforts online, and I saw that there was what seemed like a pretty successful, you know, $40,000 plus raised recently this past week. Are you worried that when you have an announcement of some successful fundraising that something like this can be dispiriting to potential donors?
Treviño: Well, certainly we should always take all that into account. However, I think we're doing everything we can to be as transparent about our challenges and I think it's shown in the kind of support we have received. That challenge grant came from a couple who have been very, very strong supporters, advocates, [and] understand the challenges of not just the Philharmonic, but many arts organizations, whether it's in San Antonio or across the country, all of the challenges that we're facing. And know that really takes all of us stepping up. And so they helped us create this challenge grant, which, as you said, was very successful. We feel that there are a lot of folks who understand and believe in our mission and our vision for world class classical music here in San Antonio, and providing that and in the best way possible. So we feel good, obviously, about that support. We certainly understand the frustration and acknowledge the challenge. And I think we have a community of supporters that are alongside us.
Cone: About how many people are in y'all's database? I'm just curious ... what's your bench, so to speak, for people who have already expressed interest in the Philharmonic?
Treviño: Well, I mean, that kind of cuts to our donor privacy policy. And I'm really not at liberty to discuss that.
Cone: Oh, sure, sure. I was just curious, you know, I mean, like...
Treviño: It's quite a few. I mean, it's enough for me to say that there are people. ... We're also getting ready to launch a new initiative, and it's based around the fact that we do have broad community support. You know, what I can say is that when you look at, for example, our concert programs, you can see that individual donations are as high as ever. And, you know, people give whatever they can. And that's a very telling story, because what we do want to encourage people to do is to stick around, to support with whatever amount they can. And so we've gotten donations up in the very, very high six figures, but we've also gotten donations, like $10 or $5 and all that's very appreciated. We know that these are people who are committed to helping, and that's in their way, saying that they're there, they're not going away. And so therefore we want to say to them, neither are we. We're still here. We're going to be here, and with that kind of broad community support, you know, we're very motivated to continue with what we're doing. And like I said, we're going to be releasing a new initiative that's going to we think it's going to expand that and demonstrate that broad support in all corners of our community.
Cone: You had a really broad, awesome season full of music here, you know. Ten classics concerts, the Pops concerts that were scheduled, that were announced this past September. ... Do you feel that that may have been an ambitious program, or maybe too ambitious, given the circumstances involved with the orchestra and its finances and negotiations with Scottish Rite? Or is this just a series of, you know ... 'well, this happened this week and this happened this month,' type thing? What is your sense?
Treviño: Well, you know, again, I think everybody can have their analysis. What I can tell you is that it was an amazing season, and partly because, obviously, we had have a world-class music director like Jeffrey Kahane programming an incredible season. We have an associate conductor like Felipe Tristán putting together memorable shows, Juan Gabriel tributes. We're doing unique events like the Musica Libre. We're also out in the community ... like doing the back-to-school event that we hosted this last summer. Our focus has been community first, and we feel that the programming is reflective of that. As far as our ambition, well, you know, we basically felt that what we were able to achieve last season financially matched the ability to do something, as spectacular, if not bigger, this season, with the same financial obligation. So we feel confident that we were headed in that direction. We still feel very confident as an organization that some of these challenges, these setbacks are going to just be temporary, and we'll get back on our feet here very soon.
Cone: And you know, speaking of financial obligations, what's the status right now? And I recognize if you can't get into anything legally to talk about this, but what's the status of the San Antonio Philharmonic and the Scottish Rite at the moment?
Treviño: Well, yeah, as you said, it's that's a legal matter I am not at liberty to discuss at the moment, but all I can say is that we're hopeful that that'll get resolved quickly and soon enough.
Cone: And you still can use the auditorium as a rental, so to speak?
Treviño: We're ... well, that's again, you're getting into the legal component of that, that I'm not at liberty to discuss at the moment.
Cone: So that leads me to my next question, though, which I hope would be a positive thing, is that the concerts scheduled further on in March and beyond, those are still going to go on, and would they potentially be somewhere else if you couldn't play at Scottish Rite?
Treviño: Well, you know, the amazing thing about the Philharmonic over the last three years has been this: one of the things I think this organization has learned from the previous Symphony days is that people do want us out and about in different corners of the community. And for example, Young People's Concerts were held in different parts of the city, different school auditoriums. We've played in many different venues, so we have a lot of options to make that happen. We've had situations where we've had conflicts and schedules and so forth, and had to move venues as needed. And so we'll be making that decision as it comes to us. And you know, we have, what I can say, a large base of support, a lot of options in terms of our ability to present shows.
Cone: For the fans of this music, what's the number one thing that people can do in order to ensure that programs continue? You know, is it event sponsorship? Is it just general donations, buying the tickets. I mean, what are the things that that you are, you know, most in need of, I guess?
Treviño: Well, I mean, you pretty much said it right there. And so people first understanding the business of the Philharmonic really revolves around the ability to sell tickets and sponsorships and donations. And so, you know, we try to keep our prices as low and accessible as possible. And so that means that we have to make up for that and subsidize that with donations and sponsorships. So, you know, reach out to us. And please stay in touch. Visit our website or social media regularly. We will be keeping people up to date on the latest things happening and how they can support. How can they donate. How they're able to sponsor events. We're going to be doing other pop-ups as well that will help keep the musicians front and center out in the community. And as I mentioned, we're getting ready to announce a new initiative that we think is going to be very unique, I think, a very unique demonstration of how the community supports the arts in San Antonio, and specifically the Philharmonic. And so we ask people to just get on a newsletter, check out our social media, and stay in touch and we'll do the same.
Cone: No hints on the new initiative? Animal, mineral, vegetable?
Treviño: Well, let's, let's just say that it's a very grassroots effort that is going to be announced here very soon. We're just trying to put the final touches on that. And I think that the whole point of that is to demonstrate how resourceful not just the Philharmonic, but San Antonio the community is, and that we have a lot of great people here in this community that want art, that want music, that want to support something that has been around for so many years, since 1939 and so we're going to set the stage for that to really be seen and to be recognized, and give people from all corners of this community to be a part of something that we think is going to be an amazing grassroots demonstration of how you support the arts.
Cone: Well, fantastic. Look forward to that. And I got to say, I'm really crossing my fingers and lighting the candles because I want to go to that show with Tessa Lark and the Michael Torke piece, because I'm a huge fan of Michael Torke, and I love that piece, that violin concerto, that kind of bluegrass-inspired piece he wrote, so gotta make it happen, man!
Treviño: Well, thanks. Thanks, Nathan. And again, we really appreciate all the support from all your listeners, yourself, and we'll do every bit that we can to make sure that people understand where we are. We're going to be as visible as ever to let people know where things are and where we stand, but where we stand is right here in San Antonio. We're not going anywhere.
