John Forsyte plots summer season plans

A year ago, Pacific Symphony President John Forsyte told the Business Journal that its “entire business model has been turned upside down.”

“This is undoubtedly one of the most challenging moments in the life of the Pacific Symphony. Unlike the Great Recession, here we have a situation where we cannot put on live performances,” he said at that time.

A year later, the damage is better understood. The Pacific Symphony, which had enjoyed 28 straight years of balanced budgets, had to slash its annual $21 million budget to $12 million. Forsyte and Music Director Carl St. Clair each took a 25% pay cut. About eight of its 138 employees were let go. Hours were reduced for about a third of the remaining staff.

A symphony that annually presents more than 100 concerts to 275,000 was halted in its tracks.

The musicians also did their part by reducing overall compensation and delaying the full compensation due to them in 20/21 until 23/24 season.

“For all of the performing arts, this has been a time that’s been disappointing to us,” Forsyte said during a recent interview.

Contributions from the board of directors and donors have helped, he said.

“Where we’ve seen a lot of pullback is corporate support. We’re hopeful that traditional businesses will reinstate their support.”

The donations made it possible for the symphony to remain vibrant in ways such as recording performances and teaching children over Zoom.

During the past year, the symphony created content that airs for free on Thursday evenings as part of its Pacific Symphony+ series on YouTube and Facebook. The programs are being viewed in Europe, Canada and Asia, including the symphony’s celebration of the Iranian New Year.

“It’s very gratifying to know we have an international viewership,” he said. “It’s been an extraordinary time of resilience and adaptation. It’s been a great learning experience for us.”

On June 5, it will stream Verdi’s opera “La Traviata” and charge $25 as it tries to start generating revenue again. A week later, the Pacific Symphony will host a “Fandango” gala outdoors at Oso Viejo Park in Mission Viejo.

Last week, the Pacific Symphony announced its 2021-22 season will begin Sept. 30, with St. Clair saying “nothing compares with performing for you live in our concert hall.”

In the coming months, it will have a better sense of state guidelines for live concerts.

“We didn’t know what the roadmap was until a month ago,” Forsyte said. “Now it’s a scramble to get everything together. We’re extremely excited about that opportunity.”

The Pacific Symphony’s plan is to work in stages, beginning first with small outdoor performances. It’s aiming for a summer season, with a first performance on July 4th and with free concerts in Orange County cities.

“Our feeling is the safest venues start outdoors,” Forsyte said. “As COVID continues to abate, we can safely return. Gradually we’ll move indoors by mid-to-late September.

“The key word is gradual. We have to understand that people will have to acclimate to large gatherings,” he said.

“The most important thing is we hope people will return to live performances. That is what art is—the interaction between the audience and the performers.”

“The most important thing is we hope people will return to live performances. That is what art is – the interaction between the audience and the performers.”