Michael Butterman, resident conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, said Friday that a symphony orchestra is in some ways a business, but very nontraditional.
He told the Downtown Council of the JAX Chamber that a symphony orchestra once retained a business consultant to analyze its operations and suggest ways to improve.
After noticing that all the violinists played the same notes, the consultant suggested that could be an area to cut.
After observing the oboist sit for long periods of time without playing any notes, the consultant suggested there might be a way to make use of the musician’s idle time.
“Maybe get him a cello,” said Butterman.
He said the symphony is a product, but selling tickets is not the way to market the product.
With only 40 percent of a symphony orchestra’s income derived from ticket and season subscription sales, 60 percent of the operating budget must come from other sources.
“Our business is cultivating and developing patrons and personal relationships. The orchestra of the 21st century has to develop investors,” Butterman said.
That includes motivating people to contribute to the orchestra’s annual fund and make the orchestra a part of their estate planning, he said.
Butterman also was music director of the Boulder Philharmonic in Colorado and the Shreveport Symphony in Louisiana as well as the principal conductor for education and outreach at the Rochester Philharmonic in New York.
He said the first step is to interest people in listening to music.
“It’s hard to get people interested in what we do until we get them in the hall to experience the orchestra,” he said.
The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s 52 musicians work for the orchestra full time. He said most other orchestras have a small core of full-time musicians and another group that is paid by the performance.
Butterman said all 52 seats in the orchestra are earned by audition and the symphony attracts applicants from all parts of the world.
“People come here at their own expense to audition. The top conservatories are represented in this orchestra,” he said.
Butterman also complimented Jacoby Symphony Hall at the Times-Union Center. He said it’s the envy of orchestras with annual budgets two and three times that of its $8 million budget.
“We’re really lucky here. It’s an unbelievably great place to hear music,” Butterman said.
The Downtown Council meets the first and third Friday of each month for breakfast at The University Club. Guests are welcome. For more information, visit downtowncouncil.org.
356-2466