The Philadelphia Orchestra, one of the nation’s most renowned classical music symphonies, is suffering with a financial crisis exacerbated by slow ticket sales. According to the New York Times, the orchestra had a $3.2 million deficit in 2009, and it projects a possible deficit of more than twice that in 2010. The orchestra has generated about $8 million worth of emergency donations and officials hope to raise another $7 million. The exact level of ticket sales was not disclosed, but it is off from the pace of previous years. In 2009, the orchestra cut salaries and canceled a European tour due to budget problems.
