L. B. SYMPHONY REORGANIZES SEASON : LONG BEACH SYMPHONY REORGANIZES SEASON

The Long Beach Symphony, which has not given a performance since November, 1984, will play a reduced 1985-86 season of seven concerts in Pacific Terrace Theater, the Arena of the Long Beach Convention Center and First Congregational Church, beginning Nov. 23, the symphony association has announced.

Mary Newkirk, new general manager of the symphony association, confirmed Friday that music director Murry Sidlin will remain in his post and will conduct all seven concerts in the reorganized season.

“With the unanimous cooperation of our more than 100 creditors, we have now embarked on the orderly retirement of our accumulated debt of $609,000,” Newkirk said.

“It will take at least two years to do that,” she continued, “but we have gained some headway by our fund-raising efforts this spring, while the orchestra was not performing. We will begin the new season with a positive balance of over $100,000 in reserves.”

Newkirk said that the reorganized 1985-86 season will cost between $650,000 and $700,000, but that projected revenues exceed $750,000. In addition, she said, the symphony association expects to raise another $100,000 “in the next four months” toward reduction of its accumulated debt.

Details of repertory and soloists will be announced later, Newkirk said, but the dates have been set. There will be three orchestral concerts in Pacific Terrace Theater, Nov. 23, Feb. 20 and April 3; two pops concerts in the Arena, Feb. 2 and May 10, and two performances of Handel’s “Messiah” at First Congregational Church, Dec. 20 and 21.

For two of the three orchestral concerts in Pacific Terrace Theater, Newkirk said, Sidlin will conduct a full complement of 85-90 players; a chamber-size ensemble will play the third concert. “For the pops events, we will use a pops orchestra of about 55 players,” Newkirk concluded.