Duluth-Superior Symphony Association

PROVIDING SYMPHONIC MUSIC

ALTHOUGH DULUTH HAD A HISTORY OF ORGANIZED ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCES AS FAR BACK AS 1883, IT WOULD NOT BE UNTIL 49 YEARS LATER THAT THE FIRST PUBLIC PERFORMANCE OF THE DULUTH CIVIC ORCHESTRA WOULD BE ORGANIZED ON MAY 2, 1932. PERFORMANCES BY THE ENSEMBLE OCCURRED AT THE DULUTH ARMORY UNTIL SYMPHONY HALL WAS COMPLETED AT THE DECC (DULUTH ENTERTAINMENT AND CONVENTION CENTER) IN 1966. IN THE 1974-75 SEASON THE NAME OF THE ORCHESTRA WAS OFFICIALLY CHANGED TO DULUTH SUPERIOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO REFLECT THE CLOSE CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP OF THE TWO PORT CITIES. DSSO IS A RESPECTED, WELL-ESTABLISHED ARTS INSTITUTION IN THE NORTHLAND. IT IS REMARKABLE THAT A COMMUNITY THE SIZE OF DULUTH-SUPERIOR AREA HAS SUPPORTED A PROFESSIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FOR MORE THAN 90 YEARS, PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO EXPERIENCE LIVE SYMPHONIC MUSIC OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY IN OUR OWN BACKYARD. THE DSSO BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ARTISTIC STAFF ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THIS OPPORTUNITY AT A PRICE THAT IS AFFORDABLE AND COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY AND A CHALLENGE FOR THE DSSO TO BUILD ON AND CONTINUE ITS LEGACY, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME FOCUSING ON NEW WAYS TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY AND DEEPEN AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT. THE ORIGINAL VISION OF THE 2019-20 SEASON WAS TO PERFORM A FULL SEASON OF CONCERTS. THIS WAS TO INCLUDE SIX MASTERWORKS CONCERTS, THREE POPS CONCERTS FEATURING FILM SCORES AND FAMILIAR ORCHESTRAL WORKS AND TWO NEW CONCERTS DESIGNED FOR FAMILIES. THESE CASUAL CONCERTS WERE FRAMED WITH FAMILIES IN MIND, WITH THE CONCERT LASTING AN HOUR AND THE MUSICIANS BEING DRESSED INFORMALLY IN JEANS AND BLACK SHIRTS. TICKETS FOR ADULTS WERE $10 AND CHILDREN 17 AND UNDER WERE FREE. THE FIRST CONCERT IN OCTOBER 2019 WAS AN IMMEDIATE SUCCESS. MORE THAN 600 PEOPLE WERE IN ATTENDANCE, WITH MANY BEING MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILIES. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DSSO HAD TO CANCEL PERFORMANCES FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON AND DEAL WITH AN ABRUPT AND UNANTICIPATED LOSS OF FUNDS. LIKE MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES, OPERATIONAL PLANS FOR THE 2020-21 SEASON WERE DISRUPTED DUE TO THE RULES AND LIMITS IMPOSED BY COVID-19. THE DSSO HAD TO REPROGRAM ITS ENTIRE SEASON TWICE IN ORDER TO CONTINUE PRODUCING CONCERTS. WE HAD TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF MUSICIANS ONSTAGE, INSTITUTE A COMPLETE SET OF PROTOCOLS FOCUSED ON SOCIAL DISTANCING OUR MUSICIANS ON STAGE AND BACKSTAGE, AND CREATE NEW SPACES FOR OUR MUSICIANS TO GATHER IN PODS. WHAT RESULTED IS AN ORCHESTRA OF BETWEEN 22 AND 35 MUSICIANS FOR EACH CONCERT, FAR LESS THAN THE 72 WE USUALLY HIRE. IN THE 2020-21 SEASON, THE DSSO TURNED TO TECHNOLOGY TO REACH ITS AUDIENCE IN RESPONSE TO THE RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON US BY COVID-19 HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS. IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH PBS NORTH WDSE-WRPT, THE DSSO WAS ABLE TO LIVESTREAM SEVEN CONCERTS VIA OUR WEBSITE, MAKE THEM AVAILABLE FOR ON-DEMAND VIEWING, AND HAD THEM BROADCAST OVER THE AIR. THE DSSO'S ONLINE AUDIENCE AVERAGED 190 HOUSEHOLDS PER LIVESTREAM AND 60+ ON-DEMAND VIEWS PER CONCERT. EACH HOUSEHOLD AVERAGED 2.8 VIEWERS, SO WE ESTIMATE MORE THAN 600 VIEWERS FOR EACH OF OUR DIGITAL CONCERT OFFERINGS. OUR VIRTUAL CONCERTS REACHED 35 STATES, WITH 61% OF VIEWERS BEING FROM THE DULUTH-SUPERIOR AREA AND 17% FROM THE TWIN CITIES. WE HAD A TOTAL OF 557 ACCOUNTS WHO VIEWED AT LEAST ONE DSSO VIRTUAL CONCERT THIS PAST SEASON. 355 ACCOUNTS PURCHASED SINGLE CONCERT ACCESS ONLY, WITH 188 AND 90 PURCHASING FALL AND SPRING SEASON ACCESS RESPECTIVELY. THE DSSO SAW ITS ONLINE CONCERTS VIEWED IN 37 STATES AND THREE COUNTRIES INTERNATIONALLY. WHILE KNEW WE WOULD BE ABLE TO REACH PEOPLE VIRTUALLY, THE DSSO WAS ALSO FOCUSED ON FINDING AVENUES TO HAVE A LIVE AUDIENCE IN OUR VENUE. IN OCTOBER 2020, THE DSSO WAS ONE OF, IF NOT THE FIRST ORCHESTRA IN MINNESOTA TO PERFORM TO A LIVE AUDIENCE SINCE THE COVID-19 SHUT DOWN CONCERTS IN MARCH 2020. WHILE OUR AUDIENCES WERE ONLY AROUND 150 FOR OUR FIRST FEW SHOWS, WE ENDED THE SEASON WITH MORE THAN 400 IN-PERSON ATTENDEES FOR OUR MAY 2021 SEASON FINALE.