Detroit Symphony feels wind at its back as subscribers return after pandemic drop-off

Fresh off a spirited, eclectic night of music one Saturday earlier this month, Detroit Symphony Orchestra music director Jader Bignamini was all smiles as he hobnobbed with some of the organization’s most dedicated fans.

It was the latest in a recent series of post-concert receptions held by the DSO, what Bignamini called a “celebration of subscribers” who are especially valued because “we share something we all love so much.”

“You are our soul and our energy,” he told the reception crowd upstairs at Orchestra Hall. “We would not be where we are today without your support. You have helped the DSO to stand the test of time.”

Two years after reemerging from the pandemic shutdown, the DSO is on a mission to reinforce its connection with the devoted, music-loving supporters who make up its base. Those subscribers and donors are the orchestra’s backbone, executives say.

The organization is also ramping up efforts to entice new folks into the fold, including several innovative ticket promotions, as the DSO vies to be viewed as another entertainment option for consumers in a busy metro Detroit market.

Based on results this season — with ticket sales rebounding to 84% of pre-pandemic levels — executives are feeling optimistic.

“We talk a lot about the importance of the audience when it comes to the orchestra and how they play,” said DSO President Erik Rönmark. “For us to have that connection beyond just a single ticket purchase, you have to feel like you’re actually part of this. Once you get to know this orchestra, this venue, you’re part of something bigger than just the music. There are a lot of great places to go and hear music in Detroit, but we’re here every week.”

Since the live entertainment world opened back up in mid-2021, some sectors have boomed. On the pop side, major concert promoters have enjoyed record earnings and ticket sales, and demand remains strong: In its first-quarter recap, Live Nation reported it had already sold 90 million tickets for events scheduled in 2023, with revenue of $3.1 billion.

But perhaps in part because of age demographics, many of the orchestras battered by the pandemic shutdowns are just now crawling their way back. The New York Times reported this week that after a dire autumn for ticket sales, major metropolitan orchestras are enjoying a somewhat sunnier 2023, even if attendance at many halls hovers at about 70% of capacity.

At the DSO, which maintained a lively public presence during COVID-19 with online watch parties and streaming concerts, the mood is bright.

The organization has deployed the charismatic charms of Bignamini at its post-concert subscriber events this year.

“I want them to understand we have a connection. I don’t want to be like a statue onstage,” the Italian conductor said. “We want to be very close to our audience in a different way, and this is one of the ways we can do that.”

Mark Buchanan, of Rochester Hills, a DSO subscriber of 25 years, said he has seen the quick impact of the 46-year-old music director, who was appointed in 2020.

“Jader is connecting really well,” said Buchanan. “I’ve seen more young people here this year than I have in a long time.”

Among those young people are new subscribers Jessie Nielson and Ken Keel, a Detroit couple who attended a May 6 Orchestra Hall reception following a joyful, energetic performance of Beethoven’s Eighth and a soulful premiere of Carlos Simon’s “Troubled Water” trombone concerto.

At first glance, they may not fit the symphony stereotype — the couple laughed and agreed when told they’d look at home at the Fillmore Detroit rock hall — but they said they’ve found a family at the DSO. Nielsen and Keel said they regularly attended the Nashville Symphony while living there, but they experienced something different after moving to Detroit last year.

“It’s more of a vibe here,” Nielson said of the DSO. “Every time we come, we meet people, we talk to people. Making music is communal, and I love being part of the music-making that happens here.”

Selecting their subscription for the 2022-23 season was “like Christmas Day,” Nielson said.

“I love the pride that everyone has. I’ve never been here when there wasn’t a standing ovation or people breaking into applause whenever they say: ‘This is your Detroit Symphony Orchestra,’” she said. “This is a community.”

Revenue back on track

As with orchestras across the country, the Detroit Symphony data was bleak coming out of COVID-19.

In the 2021-22 season, ticket revenue for the DSO’s various concert series was down 27% from 2018-19 — $4.1 million contrasted with $5.6 million in that last full pre-pandemic season.

But things have ticked up: In the current season, which will conclude in June, ticket revenue for those series is projected to hit $4.7 million, according to data provided by the DSO.

That’s still 16% off from the last pre-pandemic season. But for orchestra officials, it marks key movement in the right direction.

One innovation has proved crucial. This season, the DSO introduced Create Your Own subscription packages, letting fans mix and match four concerts from across the orchestra’s classical, pops, jazz, family and neighborhood concerts. The DSO traditionally had offered only prepackaged subscriptions, which were restricted by genre and comprised up to 20 concerts.

The new concept was a hit out of the gate. Those versatile packages wound up constituting nearly 20% of subscription sales this season, and about 85% of those buyers were first-timers. In a digital, cord-cutting era when Americans increasingly curate their own entertainment, Create Your Own seems to offer the sort of flexibility sought by consumers in 2023.

The packages are also welcoming to concertgoers who aren’t inclined to traditional orchestral fare, but who may slip a classical concert into their handpicked series of jazz and pop events for variety’s sake.

“People want choices, and they want to be in control of what they pick,” said Rönmark. “We still have our curated series, but choosing your own — ‘I want to see this, I want to see that’ — is the future of the subscription model.”

The DSO has long touted itself as “the world’s most accessible orchestra,” citing its leading-edge advances in webcasting, its emphasis on neighborhood performances and other community-friendly efforts. Post-pandemic, that posture has taken on greater significance.

These days around Orchestra Hall, even the language is shifting. More and more, you’ll hear talk of “season tickets” rather than “subscriptions” — an embrace of the vernacular typically associated with sports and pop venues.

Even the promotions are going mainstream: Last August, to tout its upcoming season, the DSO snagged headlines and TV time by inviting news media for a ride on a QLINE streetcar, where reporters were met by an onboard string trio.

For 313 Day — the informal March 13 celebration of Detroit and its area code — the DSO scored big success with a $3.13 ticket offer. The campaign generated 8,600 sales that day, and 65% of those buyers were first-time DSO patrons.

The orchestra has also lured new fans with its “DSO Presents” line of concerts, which includes live film play-alongs. Three of them this season — “Home Alone,” “The Princess Bride” and the “The Music of the Rolling Stones” — were sellouts.

DSO officials know some prospective fans may be unsure and even intimidated by concerns over symphony etiquette and attire. They now convey a relaxed tone in messaging to ticket buyers.

“Wear what you like! No dress code for concerts,” reads a pre-concert guide.

On the revenue front, tickets are just part of the equation, making up about 21% of the DSO’s annual income. The bulk of funding comes from contributions (64%), with another 12% generated by the orchestra’s endowment.

Still, packing the seats at Orchestra Hall is about more than money. For musicians and audiences, a full house is an emotional lift.

As the DSO looks ahead to the 2023-24 season, including a Sept. 30 opening-night gala with Bignamini and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, it’s banking on positive momentum.

Addressing subscribers after his May 6 performance of the “Troubled Water” concerto, trombonist Kenneth Thompkins reassured them: “I can’t see all your faces when I’m performing, but you are like our big family.”

“The DSO is definitely a ‘we’ organization,” Thompkins said. “We’re inclusive, we’re expanding, and we’re striving to be diverse. So all of you are so important to our success. As Detroit rises, we rise."

Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DSO feeling confident, optimistic as subscribers return post-pandemic