A Sour Note on Symphony Refunds

The check is not in the mail. The San Diego Symphony has notified subscribers to its canceled winter concert season that they should not expect a refund on season tickets any time soon.

The letter from symphony Executive Director Wesley O. Brustad, which tells subscribers that “it hurts me to see you batted around like we have done to you,” advises that there is no money “today” for refunds.

Brustad was unavailable for a comment on Tuesday, but a symphony spokeswoman said that the beleaguered symphony intends to make the refunds “at some time.”

At least one subscriber found humor in the Jan. 19 letter.

“It looks like I just made an involuntary contribution to the San Diego Symphony,” said James Brown, who received the letter late last week. “I presume I’ll get a little plaque. At least they let me know in time to take it off my ’86 taxes.”

Another subscriber, Daniel T. Allen of La Jolla, said the letter was “sort of what I expected. I’m not too sure whether we’ll get (the refund). They seem to be subordinating us to other major lenders. If they seem very sincere, maybe they could put us on the same level of the banks.”

The symphony has a total of $1.3 million in operating debts. Part of that is a $500,000 line of credit extended by a group of banks. Symphony financial officer Richard Pond, reached at home, would not answer any questions about the symphony, including whether the symphony is current on its interest payments to the banks.

Two weeks ago, the symphony board of directors severed relations with musicians after the two groups had failed to reach an agreement for a new three-year contract. The previous contract expired Aug. 31. In the letter, Brustad quoted the Jan. 12 board action:

“Resolved: The San Diego Symphony Orchestra Assn. immediately cease operating its present orchestra; that it utilize its assets to provide for the payment of all creditors in an orderly and expeditious manner; that it take prompt steps to determine alternate methods to bring music to the San Diego community; and that the president appoint one or more committees to formulate plans to implement this resolution.”

In the letter, Brustad said he had thought that the symphony could make good on an offer extended to subscribers in November, at the time the season was canceled. Subscribers were sent vouchers with the option to choose a refund or have the price of their tickets applied to future concert series.

“I honestly thought we would have a contract and be producing concerts by March,” the letter states. “As such, I anticipated that our income stream, which had begun to pick up at that time, would once again be back in place and that we would be able to give you satisfaction for your ticket purchase: either an exchange for tickets to our new programs or a refund based upon projected incoming funds.

“The projected income did not materialize. Funding has stopped. All our previous budget projections made in November have become meaningless. At the moment, our ability to issue you a refund is not possible.”

After the season cancellation, state, local and federal funding agencies either canceled or suspended awards to the symphony pending an agreement with the musicians.

Symphony spokeswoman Melissa Smith said she had no answer to when or how the subscribers would be paid.

“It’s still unclear to us exactly what we are going to be,” Smith said. “Everybody expects you to have all the answers: either this is black or this is white. There is some gray area. This is a gray area. Specifically, I can’t say when we will pay people back. But we will pay these people back.”

The dismemberment of the orchestra is “a great disappointment” to symphony subscriber James Brown. Brown and his wife have been subscribers and members of the symphony association since they moved to San Diego in 1971. He also has served as a docent in the orchestra’s youth programs.

“I understand there are those that don’t care,” Brown said. “But for those of us who have watched this orchestra grow, then to see it cut out from under them, it is really sad.”

In a related matter, Smith said that symphony orchestra manager Ron Johnson was informed last week that he would be laid off at the end of the week.