Symphony of the Kootenays in Jeopardy
By Bill Metcalfe
The non-profit organization that runs the Symphony of the Kootenays has decided to dissolve itself unless four new people come forward to sit on its dwindling board of directors of at a special meeting coming up on May 16 in Cranbrook.
But Hans Dekkers, the president of the society, says that even if four people do come forward, he is not optimistic that the orchestra can continue. “This is a personal opinion,” he says, “but even if we do get four people, it will just postpone the inevitable.”
Dekkers cites declining ticket sales and increasing difficulty in getting grants. He says the orchestra has no money, although it is not in a deficit.
No notice to musicians
The musicians in the orchestra, based throughout the East and West Kootenay, were taken aback by the news, which they heard through the rumour mill. “There has been no communication from this board since they took over 6 months ago that they were thinking of this at all,” says concertmaster Wendy Herbison. “And absolutely no consultation with the music director or any of the musicians.”
The Symphony of the Kootenays presents several concerts a year in Cranbrook and in other Kootenay communities including Nelson. About 20 of the 35 members of the orchestra are from the West Kootenay, and most of those are from the Nelson area.
Dekkers told The Nelson Daily that he has since sent out an apology to the musicians about the lack of notification, following an “accidental oversight where we sent out a notice to members but not to the musicians. I feel ashamed about that,” he said.
A call for passion and proactivity
“If an organization is in trouble,” Herbison says, “you go to the members and the music director and the musicians and you discuss it and you say, ‘How can we sell more tickets, how can we be more proactive to present our music?’ If you are a leader of a organization and you are passionate about that organization and what is does, then you go out and try to find solutions.”
Herbison is a professional violinist based in Nelson who has played in the Symphony of the Kootenays for 24 years of its 37-year history.
A wake-up call
Dekkers thinks the traditional model of having a non-profit organization depending on grants has to go. “I think there are answers outside today’s 35-year-old structures. If they remain, you are hindering innovation and reform.”
“He has not presented to anyone what his plan would be,” says Herbison, “and if he has a plan that he thinks is better, I would be interested in hearing about it, but instead he just wants to dissolve the whole thing and that’s it.”
Dekkers says these latest developments are healthy because they are creating a conversation. “It is a wake-up call. We can look to May 16 as a litmus test. If it leads to positive action, there may be some hope.
“But there has been increasing lethargy around it,” he continues. “The rest of the community is not interested.”
“Not working hard enough”
Herbison thinks the lethargy originates with the organization’s leadership. “There has not been enough effort made to reach out and get new audiences,” she says. “In Nelson there is not much problem getting people out and in Cranbrook there is, and they are just not appealing to the people, and not being creative in their fundraising. They are not working hard enough at it.”
For the past few years the Symphony of the Kootenays has operated on an annual budget of about $125,000, raised through grants and ticket sales and spent on musician fees and remuneration, musicians’ travel, administrative costs, and the salary of an administrator.
The special general meeting will take place on May 16 at 7pm at Knox Presbyterian Church in Cranbrook.
