Philharmonic Sees Donations Soar

Other arts organizations may grouse about the difficulty of raising money in this county’s highly competitive market, but not the Orange County Philharmonic Society. At the society’s meeting in Newport Beach Monday night, executive director Erich Vollmer reported that contributions were up 64% from 1988 to 1989.

By far the bulk of the rise from $406,067 in 1988 to $667,257 in 1989 came from contributions from individuals, corporations and private foundations. Government support rose a modest $641 from the $52,657 figure in 1988.

Vollmer credited the increase to “hard work.”

“We really had a challenge, and the board met it,” Vollmer said Tuesday. “I think it’s also an indication that we were wise in creating the position of director of development. It was long overdue.” Eve R. Henderson was appointed development director in October.

“This is a case where no one person deserves the lion’s share of the credit,” Vollmer added. “It was truly a group effort. It was nonprofit at its best.”

Nonetheless, the society ended the year with a small deficit of $16,588 in a $2.3-million budget. “That’s piddling, after what we dealt with last year,” Vollmer said. The amount was left over from a debt of $46,910 that resulted from co-sponsorship of the New World Music Festival at the Performing Arts Center and UC Irvine in the summer of 1988.

Vollmer added that 54,806 people attended 22 society-sponsored concerts at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, for what officials said was an 86% hall-occupancy rate.

In other society news:

-- Edward D. Halvajian of Laguna Beach was elected president for 1989-90.

-- Underwriting two series will be the Lexus division of Toyota (Series A: Great Orchestras) and the E. Nakamichi Foundation (Series D: Virtuoso).

-- The society also received the top rating, a 4, from the California Arts Council for the fourth year in a row.

Repertory for the 1989-90 season at the Orange County Performing Arts Center also was announced. For tickets and further information, call (714) 642-8232.

The Schedule

Series A:

-- Oct. 7, 8 p.m.: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Andre Previn, conductor: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4.

-- Oct. 31, 8 p.m.: Montreal Symphony, Charles Dutoit, conductor: Alexina Louie’s “The Ringing Earth,” Bizet’s Symphony in C, Suite from Stravinsky’s “Firebird.”

-- Nov. 3, 8 p.m.: Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Eliahu Inbal, conductor; Arleen Auger, soprano: Ravel’s “Rhapsodie Espagnole” and “Sheherazade”, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4.

-- Dec. 1, 8 p.m.: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan, conductor; Alicia Purcell, soprano: Corelli’s Concerto Grosso in C, Manfredini’s Concerto Grosso in C, Vivaldi’s “Laudate Pueri,” Heinrich Biber’s “Peasant’s Journey to Church,” Bach’s Cantata No. 51 and “Brandenburg” Concerto No. 5.

-- March 31, 1990, 8 p.m.: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, conductor; Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin: Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3, Witold Lutoslawski’s “Chain 2,” William Schuman’s Symphony No. 3.

-- May 6, 3 p.m.: Radio Symphony of West Berlin, Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor: Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” Scriabin’s Symphony No. 3.

Series B:

-- Oct. 3, 1989, 8 p.m.: Moscow Virtuosi: Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, Krzysztof Penderecki’s Capriccio for Oboe and 11 Strings, Haydn’s “Farewell” Symphony, other work to be announced.

-- Oct. 28, 8 p.m.: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Kurt Sanderling, conductor; Walter Klien, piano: Overture to Haydn’s “La Fedelta Premiata,” Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 19, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3.

-- Nov. 5, 3 p.m.: Hanover Band, Colin Lawson, clarinet: Mozart’s “Jupiter” Symphony and Clarinet Concerto, Schubert’s Symphony No. 6.

-- Feb. 10, 1990, 8 p.m.: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Simon Rattle, conductor; Stephen Hough, piano; John Aler, tenor; men of the Los Angeles Master Chorale: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, Liszt’s “A Faust Symphony.”

-- March 30, 8 p.m.: Orchester der Beethovenhalle Bonn, Dennis Russell Davies, conductor: Beethoven’s “King Stephen” Overture, Schumann’s Konzertstuck in F for Four Horns and Orchestra, Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 6.

-- March 31, 8 p.m.: Philadelphia Orchestra, Yuri Temirkanov, conductor: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1, Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5.

Series C:

-- Oct. 5, 1989, 8 p.m.: Camerata Bern, Emile Naoumoff, piano: C.P.E. Bach’s Symphony No. 5, works by John Dowland, Schoenberg’s “Verklarte Nacht,” J.S. Bach’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Kodaly’s “Marosszek Dances.”

-- Oct. 26, 8 p.m.: Christopher Parkening, guitar: Tribute to Andres Segovia program, works to be announced.

-- Nov. 4, 8 p.m.: Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Eliahu Inbal, conductor: Mahler’s Symphony No. 6.

-- Feb. 26, 1990, 8 p.m.: Hungarian State Folk Ensemble.

-- April 1, 3 p.m.: Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Octet: Brahms’ Sextet in G, Shostakovich’s Prelude and Scherzo for Octet, Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat.

-- April 17, 8 p.m.: James Galway, flute; Tokyo String Quartet: works by Mozart, Beethoven and Friedrich Kuhlau.

Series D:

-- Oct. 23, 1989, 8 p.m.: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra: Haydn’s Symphony No. 85, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola, Barber’s “Capricorn Concerto,” Shostakovich’s Symphony in C minor for Strings.

-- Nov. 29, 8 p.m.: Canadian Brass: Holiday concert.

-- Jan. 16, 1990, 8 p.m.: Vladimir Viardo, piano: works by Schubert, Debussy and Rachmaninoff.

-- Feb. 11, 3 p.m.: San Francisco Symphony, Herbert Blomstedt, conductor: Haydn’s Symphony No. 86, David Carlson’s Rhapsodies, Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7.

-- March 25, 3 p.m.: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Frans Brueggen, conductor: Sonata No. 5 from Georg Muffat’s “Armonico Tributo,” Telemann’s Concerto in E minor for Recorder, Flute and Strings, Suite from Rameau’s “Castor et Pollux,” and one of Handel’s six Concerti Grossi.

-- April 24, 3 p.m.: Thomas Hampson, baritone; Armen Guzelimian, piano: Songs by Schumann, Ravel, Samuel Barber and John Duke.

As a non-subscription fund-raiser, P.D.Q. Bach will perform on Feb. 8 at 8 p.m.