Operating Support

Ensure that the arts are interwoven into every facet of community life through the department’s free, outdoor summer concert series, Down by the Riverside. Rochester Music Department continued to book artists of the highest artistic caliber that represent a broad range of genres to promote citizen engagement in the series and maintain or enhance audience participation. An estimated 66,500 citizens enjoyed these concerts during fiscal year 2012. Rochester Music Department nurtured strategic relationships and partnerships with the Mayo Civic Center and the Parks and Recreation, Police and Fire departments, developed a comprehensive Emergency Management and Evacuation Plan, and acquired 800-megahertz radios to provide direct access to the entire southeast Minnesota emergency response network. We nurtured an ongoing strategic relationship and partnership with the series title sponsor, Think Mutual Bank, and with area radio outlets to provide concert series promotion on a targeted, market-segment basis. 2: Ensure that the arts are interwoven into every facet of community life through the Rochester Music Department’s collaboration with the Rochester Downtown Alliance’s free Thursdays on First and Third programming. The General Manager continued to serve on the Rochester Downtown Alliance's Board of Directors. Rochester Music Department continued to provide technical, curation, booking, and marketing assistance to support musical programs and underwrote the cost of three World Music-based artists of the highest artistic caliber as part of Thursdays on First and Third 2012. 2012 World Music educational outreach services took place at The Rochester Art Center, The Rochester Public Library, and The Paramount Theatre (Austin). The Department initiated negotiations that resulted in the Rochester Downtown Alliance engaging Rochester Music Department to serve as artistic director/curator/talent buyer, contract agent, and paymaster for Thursdays on First and Third beginning in 2013.