No need to add gloss or massage the news at the Tafelmusik annual general meeting, which was held last night. It was all good news as ticket revenues as well as the endowment grew at Toronto’s debt-free period-instrument orchestra.
The 2013 annual report boasts the organization’s 13th consecutive operating surplus — slightly more than $88,000 on a total budget of $5.4 million. Ticket sales grew by almost $200,000 from last year’s $1.6 million.
On the capital side, the orchestra was able to raise $2.1 million of private money towards a $3 million campaign to renovate its home base at Trinity-St Paul’s Centre while also growing its endowment fund by nearly half-a-million to $4.4 million. Tafelmusik also maintains a rainy-day/special projects fund that now sits around $800,000.
This was achieved despite an ambitious touring schedule and the launch of in-house audio-visual distribution label Tafelmusik Media — which, according to a press release, sold 13,000 CDs and DVDs in its first year.
What a way for music director Jeanne Lamon to say goodbye after 33 years as the organization’s artistic head.
John Terauds