PHOENIX — The Phoenix Symphony will suspend its season after a final concert on Nov. 1, and its 66 musicians face unpaid layoffs starting the next day, ABC15 reported.
In an Oct. 20 public letter, Symphony President and CEO Peter Kjome wrote that the nonprofit no longer has the money to continue the 2026-27 season as planned, even though ticket sales and donations have risen and administrative costs have been trimmed. The organization says years of operating deficits and other obligations have left it short of cash, and that carrying on could put payroll and essential bills at risk.
No date has been set for the orchestra to return. A preliminary assessment puts the near-term funding need at about $10 million, though the Symphony said that figure has not been adopted as an official fundraising goal.
Principal flutist Viviana Cumplido Wilson, a 20-year member of the orchestra, told ABC15 the announcement came as a shock and that musicians had seen few signs the finances were that dire. In a weekend statement, the musicians asked about the CRESCENDO fundraising campaign, reserves and endowment funds, the administrative cuts made so far, and what it would take to bring the orchestra back.
The Symphony declined to comment further, directing questions to an FAQ on its website, and said its board and management are working on a longer-term plan to stabilize the organization.
Sources: ABC15. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Cygnusloop99 / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
