2017-2018 Michigan Philharmonic ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL REPORT MICHIGAN PHILHARMONIC Table of Contents MISSION/VISION PRESIDENT REPORT MUSIC DIRECTOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT TREASURER REPORT FINANCIALS 2017/18 MICHIGAN PHILHARMONIC BOARD EDUCATION REPORT MARKETING REPORT 72ND SEASON IN REVIEW DONORS/SUBSCRIBERS ATTENDANCE 73RD SEASON PREVIEW The Michigan Philharmonic “Orchestrating the Extraordinary” The Michigan Philharmonic –is one of the most innovative and dynamic professional symphony orchestras in Southeast Michigan; reaching out to a broad and diverse array of audiences, and providing an enjoyable cultural and social experience. Our Music Director & Conductor Nan Washburn, who has been leading us for 17 seasons, has won 19 ASCAP Awards for Adventuresome Programming. We bring our events into an ever-expanding roster of Michigan communities, including Plymouth, Canton, and Northville ,Livonia, Brighton, the Downriver communities and the city of Detroit, and many others. We invite anyone who loves live music events to ‘Spend the night with Michigan Phil’! Mission Statement The mission of the Michigan Philharmonic is to enrich the communities of Southeastern Michigan by fostering excellence and innovation in the performance of orchestral music, to educate current and future audiences, and to bring distinction to our community through the regional presence and standing of our professional performing ensembles. Vision Statement Through innovative programming, orchestral excellence and regional outreach initiatives, within five years the Michigan Philharmonic will be one of the top five financially sustainable Michigan orchestras. President’s Report 2017-2018 I am pleased to announce that the Michigan Philharmonic’s 72nd season was a great success. This season treated audiences to beloved favorites, such as Holiday Pops and Halloween concerts along with innovative performances which included unique culturally diverse programming, stunning classical arrangements and Pops performances for all audiences. Along with our free summer concert series, which reached audiences throughout Southeast Michigan and Downtown Detroit, there was truly something for everyone! None of this would have been possible without our extraordinary and innovative Music Director and Conductor, Nan Washburn, who completed her 19th year with the Orchestra. Winner of The American Prize in Orchestral Conducting, professional division 2013, The American Prize Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music, professional division, 2016, and 19 ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming from the League American Orchestras, Nan Washburn is one of the most innovative and dynamic conductors working in the U.S. today The musicianship of this Professional Orchestra under her leadership continues to gain local, regional and national attention. Under her direction, The Michigan Philharmonic has won 7 ASCAP Awards from the League of American Orchestras, the American Prize for the performance of live American music and the Detroit Knight Arts Challenge. We look forward to celebrating her 20th NANiversary Season! As we reflect on our past, present and future, we remain committed to three pillars of our orchestra: • Innovative Classical Music Programming • Education for People of All Ages • Geographic Enrichment Through Community Engagement The Michigan Philharmonic has become a yearlong staple in many Southeast Michigan communities through our summer concert series, special performances and education programs. While efforts to expand the geographic reach of the Orchestra continue, we are also focused on the Plymouth Community’s push for a new performing arts center envisioned for the PARC (Plymouth Arts and Recreation Complex). This much needed center for performing arts will not only provide the Michigan Philharmonic with a regular concert hall; regional and national musical programming will also become a regular occurrence in Plymouth, enriching all of our lives with the magic of art and music. Total revenue last season was nearly $477,000, a slight decrease from the prior year. Admissions were up by 8%, season ticket sales by 7%. Increasing awareness of the orchestra, greater outreach and more flexible season ticket options helped. Individual and business giving were down compared to the prior year, as were grants. Although some of this was attributable to timing issues, it is a trend we are working hard to turn around in the coming year. Our biggest area of growth again this year was in contract service revenue, up almost 14% from last year. These are concerts where the Michigan Philharmonic contracts with organizations and communities for performances at venues throughout the metropolitan area. These benefit the Orchestra and support the three pillars outlined above. Continuing our focus on sustainability, Michigan Philharmonic’s staff, board and volunteers are working diligently to expand our donor base by hosting various events intended to build relationships with and offer opportunities for additional engagement to current and future patrons and stakeholders. Attendance at and funding from these engagement programs continues to grow. Michigan Philharmonic’s Educational Program had a momentous year! With 126 students receiving professional instruction and performing in the Youth Orchestra programs and our award winning CLASSical Music Education Outreach and Composer in Me programs that includes musician classroom visits and special concert performances for 3rd and 4th graders in five different school districts, our youth music staff and volunteers have never been busier! While we are sad to announce the retirement of Jane Libbing as the MPYO manager, we are pleased to have two former interns, Taylor Haring (education coordinator) and Andrew Brauer (MPYO manager) who agreed to take over her myriad responsibilities. The Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra continues to grow in size and stature, impressing audiences throughout the region. Our Organization relies heavily on its Board of Directors. In that vein, we welcome Anthony Davis and Nancy Davidson to our Board. Anthony, a Canton resident is an auditor by profession and an avid advocate for the arts. Nancy, a Plymouth resident, is the proud parent of two members of the Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and intimately familiar with the processes that go into making orchestral music come alive. We also must thank Kevin Kramer and Susan Schwandt for their service as they depart from the Board. We appreciate their contributions over the past several years and will miss their insights and professional acumen. On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, Beth Stewart, our stellar Executive Director, and Nan Washburn, Music Director and Conductor extraordinaire, we thank all of you- staff, musicians, patrons, supporters and our many volunteers- for your dedication and support. None of this would happen without you! We have an exciting season coming up. We invite you to join us as we celebrate the Michigan Philharmonic’s 73rd season and the 20th NANiversary of Orchestrating the Extraordinary! Sincerely, Christopher L. Belcher Board President Michigan Philharmonic Music Director’s Report The Michigan Philharmonic’s 72nd season was another busy one for us as we continue to strive for ever greater artistic excellence in performance while pushing the boundaries of our programmatic exploration—cutting edge new compositions, traditional orchestral favorites often placed in a new light, intriguing program themes, always an adventure and generally lots of fun. Here are the 2017-2018 Season’s artistic highlights: Artistic recognition: • Our stream of awards continues! This time with prestigious local recognition for the Michigan Philharmonic, taking home the “Best Community Orchestra” honors from the Detroit Music Awards • WRCJ 90.9 FM again aired four of our performances this season: A Bit of Beethoven and Blue Jeans (Sept.), Miniature Masterpieces (Jan.), Tchaikovsky Spectacular (March) and Danzones e Tangos (April). Once again, it is an honor to be acknowledged for our high-level performances. We still are among only a handful of organizations, including DSO, MOT and Ann Arbor Symphony, regularly being broadcast on this public radio station. Guest Soloists: • To get the season started, violinist Joseph Deller, our concertmaster extraordinaire, played an absolutely beautiful rendition of Beethoven’s Romance in G on our opening concert. • 3 youth choirs joined us for our Veteran’s Day concert celebration, including the Detroit Children’s Choir, the Main Street Opera Children’s Chorus and the Plymouth Counsellors Youth Chorale singing moving renditions of “Homeland” and “America the Beautiful.” • On our Holiday concert, Michigan Phil’s principal timpanist, Ray Riggs displayed his virtuoso kettle drum chops on the 1st movement of the Ney Rosauro Timpani Concerto before bringing down the house with his comical antics and percussive tapping in Leroy Anderson’s Typewriter (Dec. 14). • Dennis Carter, our phenomenal principal flutist, showed off his solo talents with the Ginastera Impresiones de la Puna (January 14). • Vocalist Lonnie Reed first sang on our February pops concerts and joined us again for our 3-concert July summer series, singing music by Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. • In March, it was principal pianist Patrick Johnson’s chance to shine as our soloist on the Peggy Glanville- Hicks Etruscan Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra (March 18). • For our final performance of the