Evening star., 1952-06-08
News of Music:
Charlottesville Measures
Value of q Music Festival
Businessmen Figure 1t Is Worth While
From Three-FoId Civic Return
By Alice Eversmon

This city, as well as many 9TH
ers. could learn how to operate a
summer musical season from
Charlottesville, Va. The past ex-
.periences of that community were
not happy, financially. Last years
Mozart Festival sustained a loss
of $1,000. When the Virginia
Music Festival collapsed the pre-
vious season the city had to bear
some of the $4,000 deficit accu-
mulated over several years. Lots
of money was going out. Was
there a profit to the city? Getting
the cold facts showed there was.
It cleared the way for the Schu-|
bert Festival, second in a series
dedicated to great composers.
which will be held next Friday,
Saturday and Sunday. 1t is being
presented by The Evening Con-
cert Groups, which gives a num-
Der of programs in CASTOR Hall,
Georgetown University, each win
ter.
The Charlottesville Chamber of
Commerce, together with the
BusineSsmen's Committee, decided
to appraise the cash value of a i
music festival. The 80 business
men who participated represented
Charlottesville's large retail es-
tabliShments, its banks, hotels
and larger restaurants. There
were several wholesalers and one
undertaken. Only three had at
tended the Mozart Festival and
all but four denied any special
interest in serious music. In fact,
the director of one of the largest
banks wanted to know what cut
the composers received from the
festival
The report of their findingsI
showed definitely direct meas
urable financial benefits" for the
city. The festival brought more
out-of-town visitors and outside
revenue than any other organized
summer event there since 1910.
The minimum amount of money
expended by the visitors, exclu-
sive Of concert admissions, equaled
almost three times the underwrit-
ing of the festival. Hotels, tourist
homes and motor courts reported
capacity business, and restaurants
and retail stores "a noticeable in
crease in income during the festi-
val period"
This was backed up by survey
conducted by the State Depart
ment of Education and the Vir-
ginia Travel Council. Their re-
port showed that out Of 500 spent
by tourists, $40 goes for lodging.
$21 for food, $40 for transporta-
ton and $39 for retail purchases.
Underwrite Half the Budget
So satisfied were these business
men with the knowledge music
had it's financial potentialities as
well as its cultural, that they
decided to bear some of the risk of
the festival. The festival direc-
tors made no appeal for contribu-
tions for this year but suggested
that some help be given. They
proposed that half of the $4,000
budget be protected by business
participation with none except the
largest organizations permitted to
contribute more than $100. This
was indorsed by the committee.
Provision was made for the return
of the money in whole or. in case
Of a deficit. with the percentage
of loss deducted.
The intangibles connected with
q music festival were also recog-
nized by these men. Publicity
was Nationwide and recordings
made from the Mozart Festival
programs were selling well. One
of the important by-products was
the subsidized attendance Of high
school students. In February, DR..
Lester S. Bucher, State supervisor
of music, announced a grant of
$4,000 to Virginia high school
pupils who wished to attend this
years festival. The grant was
made anonymously to the Eve
ming Concert Groups. This fund
will be available on a matching
basis to outstanding students
from Virginia or adjacent States.
Robert E. Simon, jr., president
of Carnegie Hall, will open the
festival Friday with an address.
Immediately following, the JUL
lizard String Quartet, with Leonid
Hambro. pianist, and Stuart
Sankey, contrabass, will play
Schubert's Trout Quintet" on a
program featuring the composers
quartets and trios. The same
artists will play again Saturday
afternoon. In the morning, "The
Wanderer Fantasy" is scheduled
by Mr.. Hambro together with the
Sonata per Arpeggione" pre-
Sented by Paul Doktor, violist,
and Nancy Leachman Friant,
pianist. Saturday night, DR.. Thor
johnson. conductor of the Gin
clnnati Symphony. will direct the
festival orchestra in the Fifth and
Third symphonies. A liederabend
is listed for Sunday night by
Ellen Fault. soprano, who will
sing also on the Sunday morning
program. Warren Story Smith
will lecture on Schubert in the
afternoon.
X + \
Summer Concert Series
Beginning June 10, the Mary
Wa shin otnra Hnllona of fha IIxai1tnr.-