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Syracuse, NY -- Syracuse Symphony’s board of trustees will file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, likely next week.

Interim Executive Director Paul Brooks made the announcement Tuesday following a 2 ½ hour SSO board meeting. Board chair Rocco Mangano, seated next to Brooks in a conference room of Eric Mower and Associates’ downtown office, did not speak during the brief press conference.

Brooks read a statement expressing the board’s “great sadness” at reaching this decision and its attempts “to find any and every possible means to survive.” He said the board realized it couldn’t support a 77-person, $7 million orchestra on a $5 million budget.

The statement also pointed out if another symphony organization should be organized in the future, it would not be saddled with the SSO’s $5.5 million debt, a $2.5 million unfunded pension liability or “a union contract that restricts its ability to configure itself to fit the times.”

When asked if this leaves open the possible formation of a future symphony, Brooks said “That’s a question to be answered down the road.”

Only two votes against the move were recorded, with 15 board members present voting to dissolve the SSO. Music Director Daniel Hege did not attend the meeting.

Brooks said the board decided to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy because of the SSO’s outstanding pension liability. Chapter 7 enables the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. to step in and take over responsibility for the pension, ensuring the musicians’ pension remains whole and intact, he said.

The SSO’s $5.5 million debt includes major unfunded pension liability, outstanding accounts payable, bank debt and unfulfilled susbscriptions, he said.

Jeremy Mastrangelo, an SSO musician who sits on the board, attended the meeting.

“In the end, people put up their hands and said ‘We didn’t know how to do it’ and there’s nothing we can do” to raise the money to continue the operation.

He said musicians will find the the news hard to take because they were “explicitly” told in making their salary and benefit concessions last summer that would ensure the viability of the SSO’s 50th anniversary season. He added in the recent discussions with management and the board, musicians offered even more in concessions for next season.

“But there was not a willingness to meet us,” he said. “We were simply told what we would have to take and there was no budging from that.”

Tueday’s announcement is the final note in what was to have been a joyous celebration of the SSO’s 50th anniversary season, including a much anticipated concert by cellist superstar Yo-Yo Ma.

A week ago, on March 29, the trustees voted to suspend operations because it was without operating funds, burdened by a debt of $5.5 million and failed to receive $1.3 million in concessions from musicians for the 2011-2012 season. Sunday, the SSO ceased its operation, laying off 61 core musicians and 14 contract players, and most of its 18 full- and part-time office workers. A staff of eight remains to conduct the business of closing up.

With the Tuesday night’s board decision, the skeletal staff will begin an inventory of the SSO’s physical assets, records, computer documents and more. Brooks said no future meetings of the board or with musicians are planned.

The Syracuse Opera will contract with players from the SSO for its Friday and Sunday performances of “The Pearl Fishers.”

Also Tuesday, Syracuse University has come to the rescue of the Syracuse Symphony Youth Orchestra and agreed to presenting the group's concert at 4 p.m. May 22 in Goldstein Auditorium, in the Schine Student Center on campus. Originally, the concert had been scheduled for May 15, but was canceled along with the SSO's season.

On Saturday, the musicians played their last concert as members of the SSO at Syracuse University. About 20 Syracuse and regional concerts remained in the 2010-2011 season.

The past nine months the SSO has struggled to straighten out its finances. In July, it was on the verge of being broke before an “angel investor” came to its rescue with operating funds.

In late January, the orchestra again faced shutting down if it did not receive $375,000 to cover its payroll and expenses for February. The orchestra management said it needed to raise a total of $1.75 million to bridge a budget gap for the 2010-11 season. The “Keep the Music Playing” campaign was launched Jan. 26.

The SSO had received $719,153 from 2,287 donors as of March 25. But it was short $100,847 in reaching its $445,000 March goal and still needed to raise $1.03 million toward its $1.75 million target. The organization has been operating month to month. Its fundraising goal for April was $400,000.

The $1.3 million concession proposal was separate from the “Keep the Music Playing” campaign. The orchestra has a budget of $6.9 million for 2010-11, down from $7.4 million for last season, and has a staff of 12 full-time and six part-time employees.

More coverage:

» Read our earlier story

» State attorney general investigating if Syracuse Symphony Orchestra owes refunds

» How can CNY save the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra?

» Symphony's collateral damage: Its youth orchestra

» Facebook group aims to keep the Syracuse Symphony Youth Orchestra playing

» Read all our coverage

