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The Ferguson Center
Things are looking good for the Virginia Symphony
Editorial from The Daily Press
September 12, 2006
It's always a happy circumstance when a big project delivers on its promises. That seems to be the case with the Ferguson Center for the Arts at Christopher Newport University, in relation to one specific promise that helped generate enthusiasm for its construction: that it would be a boon to the Virginia Symphony and the audiences that thrive on its fare.
Now in its second year, the Ferguson Center, and its patrons, have delivered. The opportunity to bring its musical magic to the Peninsula has opened up for the symphony access to a whole new market - all the folks on this side of Hampton Roads who don't want to trudge through a tunnel to get their musical delights. The symphony's debut season at the Ferguson Center was a success, and the renewal rate for the second season looks good. There's a good sign that the audience will keep on growing: By popular demand, the symphony is bringing its special child-friendly series of PB&J concerts to the Ferguson Center, with the first one this Sunday.
The musicians don't seem to mind doing the trudging through tunnels. They've gained what early promoters of the center promised, what every artist wants: more opportunities to present the works they've worked so hard on - and in an acoustically fine hall. The sheer beauty and richness of the place only add to the experience, for musicians and their audience.
There's been another happy byproduct of the symphony's success at the Ferguson Center. The increased revenue from ticket sales has helped fund much-needed pay raises for musicians. That helps the symphony compete for and retain the best. Since an orchestra is only as good as its musicians - and conductor - that's critical if the Virginia Symphony is to continue the upward trajectory of quality and recognition it has taken under the baton of JoAnn Falletta.
The Ferguson Center's benefits extend far beyond the symphony. There's a whole swath of music, dance and theater offerings. There's the sense of confidence and place it brings to Newport News. There's the aesthetic transformation it has launched on Warwick Boulevard. There's the boost implicit in the message of the dreamers and donors who made it a reality: that Newport News, and the Peninsula, deserve a first-class building and cultural life.
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The Virginia Symphony Orchestra with a complement of 79 professional musicians under the direction of Grammy-nominated Music Director JoAnn Falletta performs 140 concerts annually, reaching 200,000 concert goers every season in venues throughout the region. Our education and outreach programs reach 53,000 students and adult learners every year. The Virginia Symphony Orchestra is the cultural cornerstone of the performing arts in Hampton Roads.
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