Philharmonic Society Has Budget Surplus

The Orange County Philharmonic Society ended the 1994-95 season with a budget surplus of nearly 20%, in part because fund raising significantly exceeded projections, society officials announced Tuesday.

“It was a phenomenal year,” newly elected board chairman Richard Reinsch said Tuesday. “Everything worked beautifully. We’ve got financial stability. As Dean [Corey, the society’s executive director,] says, there’s a safety net under the tightrope.”

A surplus of $439,000 over expenses of $2.37 million will help the society increase its budget for next season to just under $3 million. It also will increase 1995-96 offerings to 34 concerts, up from 28 this year at the Orange County Performing Arts Center and the Irvine Barclay Theatre.

Paid attendance was 95% of capacity for the society’s presentations at Irvine Barclay Theatre and 72% at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

The society projects that single-ticket sales next season will double this year’s, largely because of an increased number of non-subscription events. Even so, Reinsch said that the society, which presents symphonic orchestras as well as some dance and folk groups at the two facilities, is well on its way to meeting projections for series subscriptions.

“Of a projected $854,000 in series ticket sales, we already have $800,000 sold,” he noted.

Reinsch said contributed income had been projected at $1.3 million, but in actuality fund raising totaled nearly $1.9 million for the year. The society’s women’s committees set out to earn $360,000, for instance, and brought in $514,303.

In addition to Reinsch’s election as board chairman, Fritz Westerhout was elected president at the group’s annual meeting Monday in Newport Beach.