$1.175 million anonymous gift rescues Honolulu Symphony

An anonymous donor has awarded the Honolulu Symphony $1.175 million, according to May 15 news reports. The gift allowed the nonprofit to meet payroll and make up a budget deficit that was exacerbated by the orchestra’s losing performance dates at the Blaisdell Concert Hall last fall.

The identity of the donor was not revealed; symphony Executive Director Tom Gulick would confirm only that it was a woman and a longtime symphony volunteer.

The organization's annual budget, normally between $6 and $7 million, rose to almost $8 million during the 2007-2008 season after the Honolulu production of “The Lion King” took over the Blaisdell and forced the symphony to find other performance space while depressing ticket revenue.

“It's a little short of a miracle but not by much. We’ve had a very unusual year being out of the Blaisdell for three months,” Gulick said. The symphony lobbied unsuccessfully for a grant in aid at the Hawai‘i Legislature. Lawmakers did, however, approve $4 million for its endowment fund; income from that amount won't be available for another year.