Benaroya Hall is paid for - and then some

Benaroya Hall is officially in the black.

The Seattle Symphony announced the completion of its $159 million capital campaign to build Benaroya and enlarge its endowment fund at yesterday's annual meeting. Major changes in the board of trustees also were announced.

Of the $159 million raised over several years for the capital campaign, $137 million pays for the building project and the rest goes toward the endowment fund, which will provide annual income to help sustain the orchestra.

Among the many gifts contributing to the orchestra's future security are a recent $2 million from the Kreielsheimer Foundation and $500,000 from the Fluke family to support a new three-part organ-recital series.

The 1999-2000 season, the second in Benaroya Hall, incurred just more than $17 million in operating expenses, all met by earned and contributed income. That marked the seventh balanced budget in the past eight years for the Seattle Symphony. Season subscriptions and individual contributions both rose last season by 12 percent over Benaroya Hall's inaugural season. Corporate giving rose by 14 percent.

More than 300,000 people attended the 135 orchestral programs at Benaroya Hall last season, with educational and outreach programs going out to 73,000 people, including more than 48,000 students.

More than 300 community groups and organizations used Benaroya Hall during 1999-2000, bringing more than 700,000 people into the hall. A key event of the past season was the July 2000 debut of the Watjen Concert Organ in conjunction with the American Guild of Organists convention.

New leaders of the board of directors are Co-Chairmen Gerald Grinstein and Henry James, who will lead the organization for the next four years. They succeed Ronald Woodard, board chairman since 1992, and Dorothy Fluke, board president since 1996.

New to the board are Eve Gordon Anderson, Fay Chapman, Robert Collett, Deborah Haug, Thomas James Jr., Keith Larson, David Lewis, Sheila Noonan, Sue Raschella, Walter Skowronski, Bernee Strom, Leonard Yerkes III and board intern Greg Lewerenz.