Did you know that the Spokane Symphony and the Fox Theater are separate nonprofit organizations?
Neither did we.
But not anymore. As of Jan. 1, they will have merged.
The move doesn't affect programming or staffing or even the composition of the board. (They'll just blend into one large board of directors.)
The streamlining move, made in advance of the expiration of tax credits in a couple of years, will simplify accounting practices. Besides, says executive director Brenda Nienhouse, when the SSO participated in an "Institutional Vision" self-analysis program under the auspices of the League of American Orchestras, "what we heard, particularly from the Pittsburgh Symphony, was that the structure was too complex." From a marketing standpoint, she says, it helps to present "a more integrated operation" to the public at large.
Call it a symphonic version of Inside Baseball. We just want to hear good concerts.
