The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra announced a balanced budget and an operating surplus at its annual meeting Wednesday.

For the 24th year out of the past 26, the SPCO has ended its fiscal year in the black, according to an SPCO news release. The orchestra reported an operating surplus of $143,337 for the fiscal year that ended June 30. The surplus was added to a rainy day fund, which is more than halfway toward a goal of $1 million (about 10 percent of the SPCO’s budget).

The SPCO also reported a record high audience – 108,696 people attended its 147 concerts in 28 venues throughout the metro, according to the annual report

The orchestra celebrated its 60th anniversary and launched the “Tapestry Festival,” a biennial festival that uses music to look at issues and voices in the community. Tapestry19 explored the question: “How do I recognize my home?” It included the world premiere of musician PaviElle French’s tribute to her mother and her upbringing in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood, French’s first work written for orchestra. The SPCO commissioned five new pieces and performed premieres of seven new works last year.

The SPCO also reported “proactive measures” this year to deal with changes in corporate funding and a loss of $230,000 to $300,000 in the annual operating budget. The SPCO ended its sponsorship of Liquid Music, a new music series that has been under the SPCO’s wing for seven years. The orchestra cut three staff positions and announced it would no longer offer Fanfare pre-concert discussions starting in the 2019-20 season.

The orchestra’s end-of-fiscal-year report also highlighted: