The Joy Of Promming

The BBC Proms is the world’s largest classical music festival, and the unique spirit that permeates the concerts comes largely from the Prommers, a diehard group of music fans who show up early for every concert and take their place in a huge, standing-room-only pit in front of the stage. “It’s hardly surprising that, over the years, the tastes and foibles of the Promenaders have been projected on to Proms audiences as a whole.”

Chicago Symphony Back In Balance

The Chicago Symphony, plagued by red ink in recent years, has brought its budget into balance for the fiscal year just concluded. “Ticket sales for CSO main series performances increased from $4.2 million in 2005-06 to $4.3 million in 2006-07, representing just over 85 percent paid capacity.” The orchestra also kept its endowment draw to a pre-planned 5%, or $10m.