Skip to main content

You are here

Maryland Symphony Orchestra Ends 2018 Fiscal Year On Audience, Financial, and Community High Note

Several Audience and Fundraising Records Broken in MSO’s 2018 Fiscal Year, Which Ended June 30, 2018 – MSO Now Poised For Even Stronger Growth and Expansion Ahead as Symphony Unveils New Vision, Values, and Strategic Goals


HAGERSTOWN, Md. – July 25, 2018 – Strike up the band: as the largest cultural organization in Washington County, Maryland, the Maryland Symphony Orchestra ended its 2018 fiscal year on June 30, 2018, with significant achievements and progress to celebrate and share as the symphony enters its 37th year as the four-state region’s premier professional orchestra.

With the MSO’s 2018 fiscal year now in the rearview mirror, the organization is taking a moment to reflect on the achievements its staff, board, supporters, and the entire community can celebrate together:

  • Ticket sales are up: trends for MSO concert ticket sales all sailed northward in FY 2018 over FY 2017, with single ticket revenues up 21% year over year, and season subscriptions up 7% year over year as well.
  • Highest grossing concert in history: the MSO’s production of “Disney: Tale as Old as Time” became one of the highest grossing concerts in the Symphony’s history, packing 98% of the historic Maryland Theatre with enthusiastic patrons, including many families and kids that were first-time MSO attendees.
  • Successful fundraising event: the MSO’s 2017 Symphony Ball raised over $110,000 for the MSO’s life-changing concerts and education programs, becoming the most successful fundraising event in the MSO’s 36 years.
  • Positively impacting area students: in its six unique music education programs (Kinder Konzerts, Symphony Saturdays, Link Up, High School Masterworks, Ensembles in the Schools, Youth Tickets), the MSO served over 11,400 students from the four-state region, more than half of which were from Washington County, Maryland.
  • New initiatives launched: the MSO piloted and launched several new initiatives in the past year, including the Club MSO post-concert social experience for young/emerging professionals; the Frederick Friends of MSO social group to connect MSO fans and friends in Frederick and support them in expanding the MSO’s engagement with the Frederick community; and launching a first-ever MSO chamber music concert in June 2018 at First Christian Church in Hagerstown, as a benefit for the MSO’s music education programs.
  • New vision, values, and strategic goals adopted: over the course of seven months, and through thoughtful community engagement with over 200 stakeholders, the MSO developed new vision, values, and strategic goals to bring the organization ever forward in its continued evolution; the MSO board of directors formally adopted these at its May 2018 meeting. The newly adopted vision for the MSO is “Music for Everyone: Enriching lives, Connecting people, and Building stronger communities,” and newly adopted MSO core values are Excellence, Inclusion, Innovation, Advocacy, and Community Pride.
  • Major artistic project announcement: the MSO is just days away from announcing a major artistic project it will be engaged in this fall, and looks forward to sharing this game-changing news with the community.

MSO leadership applauded the outcomes of the past year, as the orchestra works ever more strategically to realize its mission and vision.

“As we look back on our 2018 fiscal year, there’s so much to celebrate and reflect on,” says MSO Executive Director Stephen Marc Beaudoin, who is approaching his one year anniversary with the organization this September. “The community we partner with in Hagerstown, in Washington County, and in the four-state region continues to evolve and grow, and the MSO is likewise growing and evolving. How wonderful that more and more people are discovering the Maryland Symphony through attending our concerts and education programs. But we can’t stop now: the year ahead with our 2018-19 season of BEGINNINGS, and a major artistic project on the horizon for this fall, signals that our best days are yet to come. Thank you to everyone who contributed, attended, sponsored, volunteered, and supported the MSO in this wonderful 2018 fiscal year just ended, and we can’t wait to see you again soon at an MSO concert."

“On behalf of the MSO Board, there is much for which we can be proud from this past year,” says MSO Board President, Dr. Hugh Talton. “I am proud of the increase in our endowment for the purpose of new initiatives.  These additional funds will enable the MSO to engage in new and exciting projects and partnerships in our community.  As a regional orchestra, we seek board members from varied backgrounds.  Recently we welcomed seven highly qualified new members to our Board; they are already making important contributions to the MSO’s future.  Lastly, our first chamber music concert was held this year in a local church and was well received.  I think we can look forward to similar events held in non-traditional venues in the future.”

The Maryland Symphony Orchestra’s 2018-19 season of BEGINNINGS features 17 concerts and music from over 40 composers and songwriters in performance at the historic Maryland Theatre in downtown Hagerstown, MD, which will be open for MSO concerts and other events during its heralded expansion project.

The 2018-19 season opens October 13-14, 2018, with “Visions of America,” a visual concert experience of contemporary American music by Aaron Copland, William Grant Still, and John Corigliano, and the mid-Atlantic premiere of “Night Owl” by composer Michael Daugherty, which the MSO has co-commissioned with the Virginia Symphony. Opening night on October 13 also includes, free of charge with your concert ticket, access to Savor Hagerstown, a new in-theatre food and drink experience highlighting Hagerstown’s fabulous food and drink scene. Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now at marylandsymphony.org.

ABOUT MARYLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Founded in 1982, Maryland Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 37th season as the area’s premier professional orchestra.  Under the musical direction of Maestra Elizabeth Schulze, the Maryland Symphony Orchestra is dedicated to providing musical performances that educate and entertain, while enhancing the cultural environment of Western Maryland and the surrounding region. Learn more: www.marylandsymphony.org

###