2018-19 REPORT AND ACCOUNTS Sir Simon Rattle conducts Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for a special fundraising concert © Andrew Fox © Andrew Music and Ability project Best of Bollywood concert © Mat Beckett River Rea Films River Rea © Mat Beckett Supported by CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONTENTS for the year ended 31 March 2019 Page Chair’s Report 3 Chief Executive’s Report 4 Report of the trustees 5 Report of the Auditors 19 Statement of Financial Activities 22 Balance Sheet 23 Statement of cash flows 24 Accounting Policies 25 Notes to the Financial Statements 29 2 CHAIR’S REPORT I am delighted to present the from Birmingham City Council was CBSO’s annual report for cut once more by 10%, and is now at 2018–19, my first full year as the lowest level for more than thirty Chair of Trustees. years. It could indeed have been even worse, in that the Council – which It has been another outstanding year does, we realise, face very difficult both on and off the concert platform, financial challenges – had originally as the full report which follows makes proposed a cut to the arts budget of abundantly clear. The Orchestra’s around 50%. The fact that they were reputation has always been high persuaded to make a smaller cut – across Europe, and the tours with and to give the CBSO a better Mirga in April and November, as well settlement than the other as the more recent 12-concert tour organisations it funds – reflects the in May, demonstrate the heights now It has been another excellent public campaign mounted being reached by the Orchestra’s at the turn of the year, and I would partnership with Mirga as well as the outstanding year both like to take this opportunity to thank prestigious nature of the invitations on and off the concert all of you who played your part in every season. I was especially pleased making our voices heard. to be able to make a first visit to the platform… Philharmonie in Berlin for the Finally, I would also like to thank all of splendid concert there in November. you for your tireless support of the CBSO throughout the past year – Closer to home there have been longer term. We have recently taken whether making financial gifts, a great many other highlights: a number of steps to strengthen the attending concerts or as part of our I especially enjoyed the gala Board of trustees, and we are also large team of employees and performance of Beethoven’s Choral now embarking on a Centenary volunteers. As we embark on our Symphony with Sir Simon Rattle – fundraising campaign to broaden the exciting Centenary period, I am always welcome back in Birmingham scope of our annual philanthropic immensely proud of everything that – and the Youth Orchestra’s stirring income as well as build up our we are doing, and I also believe that account of Shostakovich’s Leningrad endowment. You can expect to hear with your support our best days can Symphony, as well as the Orchestra’s more about this in due course. be ahead of us. concerts at last summer’s BBC Proms and Edinburgh Festival. Whilst we have been very successful – especially with strong leadership We all take great pride in the activities from Simon Fairclough and his team of the Orchestra and choruses, as – in increasing our private sector well as the vital education work income in recent years, the ongoing carried out by the CBSO, but the support of our public funders remains Board has an equally important role absolutely vital. Our Arts Council to play in making sure that the charity England funding has been static for a David Burbidge CBE, DL is well run and sustainable in the decade or so now, while our support Chair of Trustees 3 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT This summer marks 20 years since I touring and major artistic highlights left my job in London at the BBC such as Mahler’s Symphony of a Proms and moved to Birmingham Thousand – the initiative which has to take up the role of Chief Executive the potential to be the most at the CBSO. So many things have transformative for the future of changed in these last two decades, classical music is our plan to create a but what has remained the same is new secondary school in Sandwell, the unstinting commitment of our which will focus on music. Our musicians and choruses to creating education partners Shireland great musical memories for our Collegiate Academy Trust – who will loyal audiences, and the hard work be actually building and running the by our staff to support and enable new school – have plenty of expertise such a wide range of musical Upstream Photography in using a creative curriculum to activities to happen. inspire young people to raise and … the initiative which reach their aspirations; but the idea of In 2018-19, we were as busy as ever. has the potential to be involving an orchestra right from the Our three major tours took start, and bringing our various musical Birmingham’s finest to audiences all the most transformative resources to the school in such a way over Europe; our learning and … is our plan to create a that the pupils have superb participation work provided musical opportunities to make music and opportunities for thousands of new secondary school regular encounters with the greatest people who would not otherwise be in Sandwell, which will classical pieces seems to me to be receiving the great joy and entirely new. If we get this right it enrichment that involvement in focus on music. could be a great way to support the music can provide; and we provided CBSO’s second century in a unique countless memorable evenings at This project was Mirga’s first on her and distinctive way, while creating home in Symphony Hall for audiences return from maternity leave, and she interest around the world. drawn from Birmingham, from across is very committed – as is the whole the Midlands and from further afield. CBSO family – to increasing the Over the last year we have said Concert highlights included our diversity of the classical music world farewell to some outstanding season-long Baltic Way theme, in in every sense: audiences, musicians musicians and staff, and we have which Mirga and guest conductors and composers. Nowhere was this welcomed many more. Overall the led a range of repertoire both familiar commitment more obvious last year CBSO is in excellent shape as we (Shostakovich, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky) than in the acclaimed production of move onto our two seasons of and unfamiliar (Čiurlionis, Rautavaara, Shostakovich’s searing opera Lady Centenary celebrations. Finally, I Panufnik) in celebration of the Macbeth of Mtsensk, which we were would like to record my thanks to all distinctive musical voices of that part so proud to be a part of last March. our musicians, our staff, our of northern Europe. And at the heart Birmingham Opera Company’s large, volunteers, our sponsors and donors, of this theme, Mirga was delighted to hugely diverse cast of professionals and of course to all of you our loyal share with us her passion for the and local volunteers created a truly audiences and supporters. music of Mieczysław Weinberg, a memorable event in the most unlikely composer ripe for rediscovery. The of venues, Birmingham’s Tower recording of his 21st symphony – Ballroom. Mirga’s first CD in her new contract with Deutsche Grammophon, Among the many exciting projects we recorded at our ambitious Weinberg have announced for our upcoming Weekend last November – has Centenary period – including 20 new received superb reviews all around commissions plus 20 encores from Stephen Maddock OBE the world. young composers, much more Chief Executive 4 CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES for the year ended 31 March 2019 The trustees are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2019, which are also prepared to meet the requirements for a directors’ report and accounts for Companies Act purposes. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Principal Activity The principal activity of the charity is to provide a wide access to music for audiences and participants, within the West Midlands region and beyond, through its concert performances and its extensive education and choral activities. Mission and Objects Led by a world-class symphony orchestra, the CBSO family of instrumental and choral ensembles shares musical excellence in performance, education and participation with the widest possible audiences in Birmingham, the Midlands and internationally, enriching lives and inspiring people of all backgrounds. The objects of the charity, as stated in its articles, are: • To carry on, as a going concern, the undertaking of the orchestra known as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. • To promote, maintain or improve musical education and to encourage the arts of music, mime, drama, singing and dancing. • To undertake or assist in undertaking the organisation and management of bodies of musical performers, performances involving the playing of music, lectures in the studies of music, other educational activities connected with music and bodies of students or persons interested in music in any part of the world. • To promote education in or the appreciation or practice of music, or the production of musical works, or the invention or improvement of musical instruments or of any means of reproducing music, by financial or other inducements or awards. Key Activities The strategy employed to achieve the charity’s objectives is to undertake the key activities listed below. • Promoting concerts in Birmingham as the resident orchestra at Symphony Hall, performing a wide range of music, including evening and matinee subscription concerts, a series of lighter symphonic repertoire on Friday nights, and schools, family and early years concerts.