Federal Grant Assists Symphony New Brunswick

Matching funds from the federal government will boost the coffers of the Symphony New Brunswick Foundation.

Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long announced a grant of $240, 682 at the Saint John Arts Centre on Thursday morning.

Symphony New Brunswick Foundation President Reid Parker explained how the foundation supports the symphony.

“Most symphony orchestras in Canada have independent foundations and we’re no exception. We have a separate foundation, it’s called Symphony New Brunswick Inc. It has its own board of directors, it’s completely independent of the symphony. Its sole purpose is to raise money, put it in an endowment fund and it stays there permanently. It’s invested in such a way that it earns income. All of that income can be transferred from the foundation into the symphony’s operating account,” Parker said.

Parker said maintaining an international class symphony is difficult.

“We spend a lot of money. Our budget ranges in a normal year from $800 to $850,000 a year and it should be more than that if we were really operating the way we should be. To fund that every year is a big challenge,” Parker said.

Like any organization which relies on having an audience, 2020 was a tough year for Symphony New Brunswick.

Parker said nothing compares to a live performance.

“You cannot get the same feeling watching symphony orchestra concerts on YouTube or the streaming services. It’s good but, it’s not the same. You’ve got to be in the concert hall,” Parker said.

Parker believes Symphony New Brunswick may be one of the only orchestras which were able to host performances last year.

Symphony New Brunswick has a tour set to begin later this month.