Red ink doesn't surprise Kogan

Pavel Kogan says he wasn't surprised about the recent revelation that Utah Symphony & Opera is experiencing financial problems.

Kogan, who was the Utah Symphony's principal guest conductor from 1998 to 2004, said that he had heard about the organization's deficit nearly a year ago. "I heard that things weren't going very well the last time I was here (in May 2004)."

Last week, US&O released a report that the organization is suffering a severe financial crisis, precipitated in part by a decline in ticket sales and donations. The report was by Thomas W. Morris, the former executive director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra.

Kogan was in Salt Lake City to conduct the Utah Symphony Friday and Saturday. Prior to the concerts, several musicians from the orchestra updated him on the current situation. They also handed him Morris' report.

As a guest conductor, Kogan doesn't have a particularly close relationship with management, but he does feel close to the musicians. "I have a special relationship with them, and what is going on here touches me very deeply."

Kogan said that it's incomprehensible that it took so long before the symphony's "serious crisis" was made public. "It should not have taken this long to discover what was going on. Why was this situation not presented one or two years ago? It would have been easier to resolve this problem then."

He was critical that management tried to keep Morris' report from being released. "I am very happy that it is not a secret anymore. The orchestra and musicians need to know the truth. Everything should be presented, nothing should be hidden. The whole community knows about it now, and that is important."

The Morris report noted that since the 2001-02 season (the final season before the symphony and opera merged in July 2002), average ticket sales have fallen 23 percent for Masterworks concerts, 20 percent for Pops concerts and 20 percent for the opera.

Morris cited the economy as one reason for this decline in ticket sales. Kogan, however, scoffed at that. "The economy is the same all over the world. You cannot make people donate money or buy a ticket if they do not want to. You have to deliver a good product to be successful."

Competition with other local performing-arts organizations was another point raised by the report for declining ticket sales. Once again, Kogan disagrees. "In Moscow, we have many orchestras, theaters and opera companies. There is entertainment 24 hours. But my orchestra still sells out every concert."