Following recent news that the Nashville Symphony is planning to restructure to address serious financial issues, the 80-year-old arts nonprofit’s board voted unanimously on Sept. 28 to suspend the 2026-2027 concert season, effective Oct. 18.
The program scheduled for Oct. 16 and 17 — the next one on the calendar set to be conducted by recently appointed music director Leonard Slatkin — will go ahead as planned. So will other events being presented at the Schermerhorn that don’t involve the orchestra, including concerts like Drew and Ellie Holcomb’s Neighborly Christmas and the nonprofit’s two biggest fundraising events, December’s Symphony Ball and April’s Symphony Fashion Show. But as of Oct. 18, 27 staffers and all 77 musicians in the ensemble will be on furlough.
Nonprofit to restructure as it faces fiscal difficulties amplified by recent death of longtime patron Martha Ingram
A release from the symphony explains that the current fiscal year operating budget has a $10 million deficit. That gap will be even more difficult to bridge without longtime major benefactor Martha Ingram, who died in August. The organization was already in a season of major change, with Slatkin starting a three-year tenure at the podium after the graceful exit of longtime maestro Giancarlo Guerrero — who led the ensemble through a period of nearly two decades, during which it was nominated for Grammys on what felt like a regular basis, and won many — and J. Mark Cantrell taking over as president and CEO in early August following Alan Valentine’s retirement.
“The Nashville Symphony’s present circumstances demand plain speaking,” Cantrell says in a statement included in the larger release. “For years, this institution has operated on a financial foundation that could not sustain it. The extraordinary generosity of one donor sustained the organization, but that generosity was never a substitute for the broad community support and sound financial stewardship its future requires. Structural deficits persisted, and the necessary changes were not made. The responsibility of new leadership is to confront that history honestly and remedy the conditions that brought us here.
“The excellence of this orchestra and the artistry of its musicians have never been in question. The organization has exhausted its cash and cannot continue operating as it has. Suspending concerts and furloughing colleagues imposes profound hardship on people who have given this institution their talent, their labor and their trust. We owe them honesty about what has happened and urgency in the work of setting it right.”
Veteran orchestra executive to succeed longtime Symphony business leader Alan Valentine
Cantrell notes that the restructuring plan will continue to develop in the coming months. Musicians and their union representatives will have a role in creating it alongside senior leadership and the board of directors.
Classical music news site Slipped Disc published the remarks Slatkin reportedly made to the board during the meeting. Quoting Dolly Parton (“If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain”), he reportedly emphasized the importance of making choices that avoid putting musicians — and audiences — in a position where they have little to no choice but to go elsewhere. Still, in the symphony’s release he reaffirms his commitment to his role.
“As I process this difficult situation, I am filled with deep gratitude for everyone who has poured their talent, care and dedication into this orchestra,” Slatkin says. “Although my final concerts this season will take place on October 16-17, I intend to remain the Nashville Symphony’s music director, and I am committed to walking alongside our musicians, staff, board and community as we work toward our return.”
“Our board's job is to be honest about where we are and clear-eyed about what it will take to move forward, and that's exactly what this plan represents,” board chair Teresa Sebastian, who was elected in August, says in the statement. “We are committed to building a Nashville Symphony that is not just artistically excellent, but financially strong and sustainable for generations to come. That means a new direction from our leadership, new discipline around fundraising and revenue growth, and a long-term plan we can stand behind.”
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