The Nashville Symphony has declared a state of "financial emergency," suspending the 2026-27 season effective Oct. 18 and furloughing its 27 full-time staff in addition to all 77 members of the orchestra.
The symphony's board of directors passed a resolution on Sept. 28 announcing the first step of the restructuring plan, which addresses a $10 million deficit in the organization's current fiscal budget.
The symphony’s two signature fundraising events will proceed as planned, including the Symphony Ball on Dec. 12 and the Symphony Fashion Show on April 27.
Five previously announced independent productions will also proceed: "The Legendary Life of Tom Petty" (Oct. 18), "No Small Endeavor LIVE" (Nov. 22), "Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder Christmas"
(Dec. 8), "A Very Dave Barnes Christmas" (Dec. 10), and "Drew and Ellie Holcomb’s Neighborly Christmas" (Dec. 11).
The Symphony Center will remain available for private event bookings, as well as previously booked weddings and events.
This is "a step organization leaders say is necessary to secure the long-term future of one of Nashville's most treasured cultural institutions," the symphony's leadership said in a press release, acknowledging that the organization’s "cost structure and revenue base" have become misaligned over time.
“The Nashville Symphony’s present circumstances demand plain speaking. For years, this institution has operated on a financial foundation that could not sustain it,” Nashville Symphony CEO Mark Cantrell said in a press release. He was appointed to his current role in August.
“The extraordinary generosity of one donor sustained the organization, but that generosity was never a substitute for the broad community support and sound financial stewardship its future requires. Structural deficits persisted, and the necessary changes were not made," Cantrell continued.
"The responsibility of new leadership is to confront that history honestly and remedy the conditions that brought us here.”
The plan will continue to develop in the coming months as a collaborative effort by the symphony’s leadership, its board of directors and its musicians.
Patrons who have purchased tickets to a concert in the 2026-27 season can apply the credit toward a future performance. They can also convert their ticket value into a donation to the Nashville Symphony.
Audrey Gibbs is a music reporter at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@tennessean.com. Follow her on Instagram at @audreyraegibbs.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Symphony in 'financial emergency,' suspends season, furloughs staff
