Running a successful music festival is a numbers game. World-class artists can sing, play and dance, but it means little if no one is there to listen.
This afternoon, the Toronto Summer Music Festival’s (TSM) Artistic Director, Douglas McNabney has returned from crunching the numbers and the verdict is in.
Between July 16 to August 9, 2015, there was a 5% increase in TSM ticket sales, and a 12% rise in overall attendance from last year.
This is all excellent news for a festival now completing its 10th and biggest anniversary season.
TSM’s Executive Director Natasha Bood, who incidentally was awarded the 2015 John Hobday Award in Arts Management this past week, stated, “This summer, in particular, Torontonians were faced with a vast array of entertainment choices. With the Pan Am Games and the accompanying PANAMANIA program offerings added to the city’s usual bursting calendar.”
While the calendar may have been bursting with theatre and sports events, it was an unusually quiet one for classical music in the city. With nearly all programming taking place between September and May each year, classical music presenters use the summer to recharge their batteries and prepare for the next season. This leaves summer festivals to fill the void, and they are all too happy to oblige.
With a short summer, there is a narrow opportunity for success. The TSM had only 25 days to put on a total of 24 main stage concerts, and various masterclasses. Performers included soprano Measha Brueggergosman, eminent pianist Garrick Ohlsson, the YOA Orchestra of the Americas with pianist Ingrid Fliter, jazzman Danilo Pérez, the Danish String Quartet, and soprano Karita Mattila. To heat things up, they also had a tango concert with noted cellist Antonio Lysy, the Borromeo String Quartet, and dancers Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrioneuvo.
The impressive lineup seems to have resonated, but also proves that there is an identifiable need for quality classical music summer programming within the city limits.
“We are thrilled with the enthusiastic response to the program on all fronts,” said Douglas McNabney.
Programming details for Toronto Summer Music Festival’s 2016 season will be announced next April.
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