Area’s Newest Orchestra Playing a Happy Tune : Arts: Avoiding the financial woes of its predecessors, New West Symphony is attracting the backing needed to support its six-concert season.

Only five months since its incorporation, Ventura County’s New West Symphony has so far eluded the financial troubles that plagued the cash-strapped orchestras it replaced.

“Things are going swimmingly so far,” said Lawrence Blonquist, president of the New West Symphony, which last spring replaced the Conejo and Ventura symphonies as both struggled to stay afloat.

Since fund-raising for the new symphony began last summer, New West has raised $365,000 in corporate, individual and foundation grants. With an additional $400,000 in projected ticket sales, the symphony is “well on its way” to reaching the estimated $1 million needed to support its six-concert season, said Felice Ginsberg, chief financial officer for New West.

When the Conejo and Ventura County symphonies were dissolved, both orchestras were losing money, Ginsberg said.

In its last two years, the Conejo Symphony had run up a deficit of $100,000. And while its final year was profitable, the Ventura Symphony had also run up a $100,000 deficit over five years.

Ginsberg attributes part of New West’s success to being able to tap a donor base of concert aficionados no longer divided between two orchestras.

“We have combined the subscriber/donor base of the Conejo and Ventura symphonies,” she said. “We are the first organization in the United States to put two symphonies together and it is quite exciting to see the results. All over the country, orchestras are running deficits.”

This year, the bulk of New West Symphony’s budget is expected to come from projected box office sales, estimated at $400,000.

But fund-raisers are also hoping to raise $300,000 by the end of the year through the Founders Club membership drive. Already, 22 individuals have donated about $160,000 in return for season tickets, dinners with the maestro, VIP seating and recognition in the orchestra program, said Susan Feller, executive director for New West Symphony.

Contributors so far include such high-profile Ventura County civic leaders as Marshall Milligan, whose family owned the Bank of A. Levy; Larry Janss, a member of the board of governors of the Civic Arts Plaza, and William Bang, another major supporter of the Civic Arts Plaza.

About $125,000 has come from corporate sponsors, including American Express, which underwrote the symphony’s October debut, and Microsoft, which will sponsor a Discovery Artists Concert in January.

Another $80,000 has come from individual pledges and foundation grants.

Meanwhile--under a deal struck with the local musicians’ union after a bitter battle over who would get to play in the new symphony--permanent contracts have been extended to about 40 musicians from the Conejo and Ventura symphonies. Auditions, open only to the remaining Ventura and Conejo players for the last 25 seats, occurred last week. Open auditions for all musicians are scheduled for next month.

New West Symphony’s next concert, “Seasons Greetings,” featuring works by Antonio Vivaldi, Arcangelo Corelli and Liona Boyd, will open Dec. 8 at the Oxnard Civic Auditorium and Dec. 9 at the Civic Arts Plaza.