Year End message from the GBS Board Chair

The best of the Season to you from your community orchestra.   Here at the Georgian Bay Symphony we are well into our 52nd season.  What an exciting season so far!

Some Updates:

Two of the five auditioning candidates for Music Director have performed for us. We can’t wait to see what the other three will bring. Thank you for filling out the audience feedback surveys. Orchestra members have a detailed evaluation form to complete following each concert. All audience surveys and musician evaluations will be tabulated. If all goes according to plan, a new GBS Music Director will join us for the 2024-2025 Season.

Great news: ticket sales for our first two concerts are up over last year. Other arts organizations in our region and across Ontario are reporting a similar uptick and we hope that this trend will continue. Audience numbers are still not back to 2018-2019 levels but are definitely heading that way.

With recent events in KW some of you have asked about how the GBS is doing financially. We can report that the Georgian Bay Symphony has no debt and the Covid support loan from the federal government has been repaid. The GBS is a not- for- profit corporation and our Board of Directors with the guidance of our Treasurer works hard to balance yearly deficits and surpluses.

Revenue from ticket sales and donations brings in the largest share of our income.  We could not survive without your attendance, support and generosity. Thank You! The remainder of our income is generated by the Vintners’ Dinner & Wine Auction, concert sponsorships, and the occasional government grant.

This year the GBS received two government grants for specific purposes. An Ontario Trillium Foundation grant is to be used to hire consultants to develop a fundraising strategy, and strategic plan. A Covid Resilience grant from the federal government, administered by Community Foundation Grey Bruce, will cover costs related to updating technology, equipment and software.

The Georgian Bay Symphony wishes you a happy and safe holiday season filled with music and joy. See you in the New Year.

Nancy MacDonald

GBS Board Chair