Chicago sounds budget warning

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra closed out fiscal 2002 with operating losses of $6.1 million on an operating budget of $59.6 million. Other U.S. orchestras also have been reporting red ink, mostly attributable to the nation’s ongoing economic problems.

Henry Fogel, president of the Chicago Symphony’s governing body, told trustees that despite record annual fund contributions of $14.8 million and a midseason rebound in single ticket sales, the orchestra has suffered a widening gap between operating revenue and expenses.