Operating Support Grant

Through annual board retreats, MSO has developed a strategic plan and supporting outcomes which we measure and discuss at least yearly. Our success in achieving these outcomes guides our planning for programming and outreach to musicians and audiences. Outcomes: Participation in MSO programs will be maintained or grow Participation in MSO Programs by string players will be maintained or grow Musicians will feel the repertoire is helping them to improve their skills MSO musicians will support the orchestra financially Audiences for MSO concerts will be maintained or grow Student attendance at orchestra concerts will grow Financial support for the orchestra will grow The board will have clear succession plans for all leadership positions MSO will support music education and work with young musicians We have experienced setbacks in several areas during the pandemic. We are planning two board retreats this year to develop plans to rebuild our orchestra and audiences. Our constituents include both musicians and audience members. MSO tracks statistics about musician participation, audience size, total financial support, and number of financial supporters by type on an ongoing basis. MSO conducts a survey of participating musicians at the end of each season. The survey asks questions designed to measure engagement, satisfaction, mission achievement, development of skills, adequacy of rehearsal time, and appropriateness of music selections. The survey also invites members to make suggestions and to volunteer to serve on the board or committees or take on other tasks like school visits or audience outreach. MSO periodically conducts audience surveys, asking questions such as what is the most important reason(s) they are attending a performance; how many MSO performances have they attended in the last 12 months; have they ever made a financial contribution to MSO; what kind of music would they like to hear MSO perform; and how many miles they drove to attend the performance. Survey results are compiled and discussed by the board at least annually. The board is currently considering a proposal to conduct focus groups with current and potential musicians, and current and potential audience members, to gain additional insights into how we can better serve the needs of our constituent groups and encourage greater participation. Our home base for performances is Goodman Auditorium in Virginia High School and one performance of each two-concert series is held there. For our 2022-2023 season, concerts will be held in Virginia, Hibbing, Eveleth, Ely, and Mountain Iron. We hold regularly scheduled concerts at Goodman to make it easy for residents of the largest community in our service area to find us and appear in other places to make orchestral music available to people from across the Iron Range in their own communities. Our ticket prices are low so that cost is not a barrier to attend a live concert. In the season just completed, MSO performed seven times in Virginia, Ely, and Moose Lake. Audience sizes were smaller than in past years. Season total attendance was 800, and 46% of audience members were adults, 37% were seniors, and 17% were children. Seventy-three musicians performed with MSO this year, including four singers, two young artist competition winners, and 66 instrumental musicians. We performed with an average of 40 instrumental musicians per concert. Ten individuals performed with the Mesabi Chamber Ensemble, including two youth. This comment illustrates MSO's impact on the people of the Iron Range: ?Here I was, with a full orchestra and large crowd including many friends. When the music began, with Aida's trumpet fanfare, tears of joy suddenly came to surprise me! I had come alone, but when I saw what we were in for, I put in a call to my wife, and she quickly changed plans and clothes and arrived before the end of the Verdi! Thanks to the MSO for a wonderful concert that delighted and nourished us." Elton B., audience member In