Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera calling off fall season

The Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera will be scrapping its fall seasons this year as the joint company works its way through financial issues. Leaders are deciding when regular performances will resume and are expected to make an announcement within three months.

“The fall season, at this time, appears to be off the table,” said Laurie Nelson, board president of the Sacramento Region Performing Arts Alliance, in an email. The alliance is the umbrella organization for the orchestra and the opera.

Nelson said that “questions of what we offer and when are under discussion internally” and that a three-month time frame has been established.

News of the fall season’s cancellation was reported on Sunday by the Sacramento Bee.

The Bee report said that the philharmonic and the opera, which merged last year, have experienced financial difficulties due to shortfalls in fundraising.

The article stated that the two companies’ combined budgets exceeded $2 million before the merger, but now, the alliance has just $131,000 in the bank for the 2014-2015 season.

Earlier this year, the alliance received a $500,000 gift from the Joyce and Jim Teel Family Foundation. The Bee reported that most of the amount went toward the Sacramento Opera’s production of “Il Trovatore.”

The joint Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera company, which is relatively small by national standards, is the latest classical music organization to be experiencing financial challenges.

Twitter: @DavidNgLAT