Utah Symphony/Utah Opera gets $1M grant from Eccles Foundation

The Utah Symphony|Utah Opera announced Tuesday that it has received a $1 million grant from the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation to help it overcome its current financial crisis.

In October, the musicians of the Utah Symphony agreed to donate a total of $1.3 million in salary and benefit cuts for the 2009-10 season. This comes after the musicians had accepted a reduction in salaries and benefits for the previous season. The current cuts are contingent on USUO matching the $1.3 million in donations from outside sources.

Administration salaries have also been cut between 11 percent and 18 percent.

USUO's current money woes stem from declines in Zoo, Arts and Parks funding, as well as a drop in private giving due to the economic downturn.

The Eccles Foundation grant came in response to USUO's plea for community and corporate help in seeing it through its monetary problems.

"We still have a long way to go to ensure long-term financial stability, but this grant marks a substantial beginning," USUO president and chief executive officer Melia Tourangeau said in a news release.

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