IRIS Orchestra General Information Contact Information Nonprofit IRIS Orchestra Address 1801 Exeter Rd Germantown, TN 38138 Phone 901 751-7669 Facebook facebook.com/irisorchestra Twitter @IRISOrchestra At A Glance Year of Incorporation 2000 Community Foundation staff conducted a site visit? No 1
Statements & Search Criteria Mission The mission of IRIS Orchestra is to provide outstanding experiences in the concert hall, the classroom and throughout the community through musical, educational, and mentoring endeavors. The IRIS Orchestra was founded in September 2000 by conductor Michael Stern around a new idea: bring the best musicians from around the country, world-renowned soloists, and one of the most dynamic young conductors in the country to Memphis for a season of outstanding concerts. Now starting its 18th season, IRIS Orchestra is a community of virtuosic musicians drawn from leading orchestras, universities and chamber groups around the country. Since its inception, IRIS has partnered with a remarkable array of world-renowned soloists including Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Yo-Yo Ma, Branford Marsalis, Martin Short, Gil Shaham, Jeremy Denk, and Midori to name just a few. This unique model has led IRIS to become one of the most successful ensembles in the United States, an exhilarating laboratory for musical discovery and excellence. Background IRIS Orchestra, founded by conductor Michael Stern in September 2000, is an ensemble of exceptional musicians, world-renowned soloists, and a dynamic conductor, bringing Memphis a season of outstanding concerts. To solve the puzzle of how to achieve a major-metropolitan level of excellence at a budget sustainable in a mid-sized community, Stern created a unique artistic and business model: as an ensemble, IRIS is completely flexible in instrumentation and size. Each season schedule can be fitted to the demand and interests of audiences. Each season is an exhilarating laboratory for musical discovery and excellence. Since its inception, IRIS has partnered with a remarkable array of world-renowned soloists including Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Yo-Yo Ma, Branford Marsalis, Martin Short, Gil Shaham, Jeremy Denk, and Midori to name just a few. This unique model has led IRIS to become one of the most successful ensembles in the United States Over the past 17 years, IRIS has become a cornerstone of the Germantown/Memphis community while garnering a reputation as one of the nation's premier chamber orchestras. The orchestra has experienced tremendous growth and many successes since inception. IRIS brings world-class artists and programming to the area that would otherwise be inaccessible to the region, contributes to the advancement of the region's economy, and touches the lives of countless youth and community members. IRIS' commitment to community enrichment is woven into the very fabric of the organization and, in a time of dwindling resources, many schools have come to depend on IRIS' expert and high-quality programming to supplement and enhance their music education curriculum. Renewed support from numerous family foundations, sponsorships, grants, and donations help the orchestra continue to serve as a regional and national leader in the creation, advocacy, and dissemination of classical music. 2
Impact IRIS Orchestra s overarching goals: to bring to our region the highest level of performance possible; to use music to engage and educate the community, especially the youth; to enlist music as a tool for social justice. IRIS s commitment to enriching musical education and outreach in the Mid-South is a central part of its mission. In 2016-2017, IRIS instituted the IRIS Artist Fellowship (IAF). A program for emerging young professional musicians with a focus on service to the greater Memphis community, IAF is designed to address the underrepresentation of African-Americans and Latinos in the classical music realm and is directed toward musicians of those populations. IRIS Artist Fellows are orchestra members who, between concert weeks, focus on education, youth development, community-building projects, and collaborations. IRIS is committed to IAF as a central component of building diversity organization-wide to better serve our community while benefiting in turn from the vitality and creativity diverse participation drives. IRIS Orchestra is known for bringing to Memphis guest artists whose names read like a whos-who of the most sought-after artists in the world. For the 2016-2017 season, instead of focusing on the world stage, IRIS chose to highlight the rich culture in and around Memphis, showcasing some of the excellent organizations that make our community diverse, culturally rich, and vibrant. Partnerships with Dixon Gallery & Gardens and Memphis College of Art, and with Opera Memphis, the University Singers, and Ballet Memphis, created fresh and unusual concert events that delighted audiences. Music Means the World to Us: IRIS Music Director Michael Stern chose this theme for the 2017-2018 season. Exploring how America s musical identity has been shaped by the influences and experiences of people from around the globe, the five programs of IRIS s 2017-18 subscription season celebrate the diversity of the American musical experience. Needs 1.IRIS will be raising $500,000 in individual gifts and $250,000 in grants funding the 2017-2018 season 2.Volunteer opportunity: ask about becoming a host family for an IRIS musician 3.Additional Board Members CEO/Executive Director Statement We invite you to join us in this, the 18th season of IRIS Orchestra. This season we celebrate the diversity that America has created by bringing together people, cultures, and music from all around the world. This season will also boast some of the finest young and upcoming visionaries in the field of music. This diverse group is the next generation of artists carrying on the traditions of classical music, as well as expanding its horizons with the creation of new, inventive music in the future. In addition, this year will be the second for the IRIS Artist Fellows, a program designed to address the underrepresentation of African Americans and Latinos in classical music. These talented musicians act as inspirational and aspirational figures to our Mid-South youth. Thank you for your continued support, and a special thank you to our donors, sponsors, and advertisers, without whom this unity of musical expression would not exist. David DePeters Executive Director 3
Board Chair Statement Andrea Bienstock, Board Chair. I became involved in IRIS as a subscriber first and then by being a host family. I found the experience of being personally involved with the musicians so enriching that I wanted to be more involved with the orchestra. I later became a board member and then a Board Chair on July 1, 2014. I consider the orchestra a gem that is not well enough known and or understood in the community. The IRIS Orchestra represents the opportunity to hear world-class musicians, both in the orchestra and as guest soloists, much like being in a larger city, four or five times a year. There is a unique energy to the performances a great chemistry among the musicians and with the music director. The governance challenge is the marketing of the IRIS orchestra by spreading the word as what we do and get more of the community as well as organizations involved and increase fundraising. To address these challenges IRIS Orchestra has added new board members to energize the board governance and voice new ideas. IRIS engaged with the marketing class at Union University to get input on some fresh ideas. IRIS hired a marketing professional, changed marketing firms, and reorganized the IRIS staff to better focus on the marketing and the community engagement activities. Areas Of Service Areas Served Areas TN - Shelby County IRIS is committed to carrying the exceptional musical experiences it offers beyond the concert hall to make a positive impact in the community. IRIS musicians and guest artists perform for and mentor students throughout the Mid-South. Appearing in Shelby County schools, at Scheidt School of Music, and in children s hospitals, retirement centers, and libraries throughout Shelby County, they reach over 5,500 children, adults, and seniors in 18 Memphis-area zipcodes in a typical season. pasting Service Categories Music Arts & Culture Arts Education 4
Programs Programs IRIS Orchestra Concert Season Description Over the past 18 years, IRIS Orchestra has become a cornerstone of the Greater Memphis community while earning a reputation as one of the nation's premier chamber orchestras. IRIS brings to the Mid-south worldclass artists and programming not otherwise accessible to the region, building the region s stature and contributing to the advancement of the local economy while touching the lives of countless youth and community members. IRIS concerts feature traditional classical music repertoire spanning four centuries, works by American composers, and world premieres of IRIS-commissioned works. For the 2017-2018 season, IRIS will be presenting five pairs of concerts introducing new soloists, celebrating the diversity of the American musical experience. The vibrant core for an increasingly substantial portfolio of programs, the orchestra is the foundation for all of IRIS programming and is critical to IRIS Orchestra s continuing impact in the Greater Memphis community. Budget $545,000.00 Strategy Long term Success Short Term Success Goals: To bring to our region the highest level of performance possible; to use music to engage and educate the community, especially the youth; and to enlist music as a tool for social justice. IRIS Orchestra is committed to the highest standard in performance and to presenting innovative programming. To solve the puzzle of how to achieve a major-metropolitan level of excellence at a budget sustainable in a mid-sized community, IRIS designers created a unique model: IRIS is completely flexible in instrumentation and size, not bound to any fixed number of contracted weeks. This unique artistic and business structure allows the ensemble to be reshaped for each concert according to repertoire, and each season schedule to be fitted to the demand and interests of audiences. IRIS stable subscriber base and concert attendance are withstanding the national trend of declining attendance at live classical music performances. IRIS audiences come from all zones of the Greater Memphis area. IRIS has committed this season to a stronger focus on telling our story and the story of how we believe music can be a part of building a better Memphis. IRIS Orchestra is committed to carrying the exceptional musical experiences it offers beyond the concert hall to make a positive impact in the community through education, outreach, and engagement. IRIS' commitment to serving the community is woven into its structure. IRIS musicians and guest artists perform for and mentor students throughout the Mid-South. FY18 is the third season we have offered the Saturday/Sunday paired programs. FY18 s challenge will be to grow the audience for the newer matinee offering. While the matinee timing is appreciated by segments of our audiences, particularly older patrons and families with school-aged children, the numbers to-date for Sundays fall short of a critical level of demand. 5
IRIS Artist Fellows Program Description IRIS Orchestra s IRIS Artist Fellowship (IAF) initiative is a program for emerging young professional musicians. Designed to address the underrepresentation of African-Americans and Latinos in classical music, the Fellowship is directed toward musicians of those populations. With IAF, music education for the Greater Memphis area takes place both inside the classroom and out in the community, while the Artist Fellows themselves further develop their own performance, teaching, and community engagement skills through a broad spectrum of musical endeavors. IRIS Artist Fellows gain high-caliber professional experience performing under Conductor Michael Stern as members of IRIS Orchestra. Through a partnership with Memphis Music Initiative, Fellows spend 20 hours each week in disadvantaged school systems, teaching and mentoring Memphis-area elementary and middle-school students in their music classes. The Fellows perform as an ensemble in outreach settings including public libraries, community museums, and children s hospitals around the Greater Memphis area. Fellows manage collaborative projects with partner organizations. Target audiences are children and families, with an emphasis on underserved populations and communities of color. Embracing our residence in the Greater Memphis Area, a minoritymajority community, IRIS Orchestra is committed to IAF as a central component of building diversity organization-wide on the stage, staff, and board, as well as in our audiences to better serve our community while benefitting in turn from the vitality and creativity diverse participation drives. Budget $0.00 Strategy Long term Success Short Term Success The program is intended to create a bridge from college-level to professional musicians by allowing the Fellows to continue their education through a program to further both their performance skills, as well as the community engagement aspect of a professional musician s life. For the teaching portion of the IRIS Artist Fellows, the success matrix is set up through Memphis Music Initiative, who is overseeing the relationship with Shelby County Schools. A large part of the program is consistent, on-going feedback from students, teachers, school admin and IRIS Artist Fellows. Plus, an increase of ticket sales will be compared to last year s sales with this new collaborative Community Outreach with other Memphis organizations. 6
Education, Outreach, and Engagement Programs Description IRIS Education programs, impacting 1500 students each year, offer transformative new skills and capabilities through hands-on instruction and music appreciation. Targeted audiences include students at public, private and special needs schools throughout Shelby County, and students at the Scheidt School of Music. Budget $55,000.00 IRIS Outreach events, reaching 3500 participants each year, build accessibility, lowering barriers of geography, cost, mobility, and awareness. Musicians visit senior living centers and perform at Le Bonheur and St. Jude Children s Hospitals throughout the season, and present special programs at Memphis Oral School for the Deaf. IRIS Engagement projects, involving 650 participants each year, leverage the skills and creativity of IRIS musicians to assist a community to shape its own voice through music and the arts, and allow IRIS artists to work with a growing list of partner organizations in areas as diverse as the arts, human services, culture, and cultural preservation. Strategy Long term Success IRIS is committed to carrying the exceptional musical experiences it offers beyond the concert hall in order to make a positive difference in the community. Over the course of a season, community programs engage about 5,500 students and adults, with an emphasis on disadvantaged youth and neighborhoods. The programs are designed to employ music as a tool for learning with an overarching goal of engaging the arts as an engine of social justice. They emphasize youth development, communitybuilding, performances, and collaborative ventures with students, families, and community members. IRIS artists provide a high-quality, consistent presence in Memphis-area schools and take performances to outreach locations for additional music exposure beyond the classroom. The IAF residency allows these young artists to act as inspirational and aspirational role models to youth while emphasizing to the students, their families, and classical music audiences, the concert hall as a home for diversity. Short Term Success Teachers, principals, program coordinators and other professionals at organizations with which we collaborate are surveyed following each Community Engagement event. Overall satisfaction levels, as well as satisfaction with specific programs and musicians, have rated consistently high in these surveys. Feedback, suggestions and additional desires are shared with participating musicians and IRIS staff. Feedback also is solicited from IRIS musicians and guest soloists. IRIS is committed to instituting best practices and is always looking for ways to better meet the needs of participants and partner organizations. 7
IRIS Family Concerts Description IRIS musicians travel to various community centers throughout the Mid- South bringing instruments and fun for students of all ages. Rather than ask families to come to GPAC to hear the orchestra perform, IRIS brings the music to the people. And, through other partnerships, bring instruments for the young musicians to try. Budget $10,000.00 Strategy Long term Success Short Term Success Bringing the music and instruments to the families in community centers in Shelby County. Many of those children and families have never been exposed to Orchestra music. Children will be able to try the instruments and hopefully, plant those seeds to be a musician one day. Families will be inspired by continue to attend IRIS Orchestra community events in their area and hopefully the majority of children will be inspired to play an instrument in the future. In-School Programs and Mentorship Description IRIS Orchestra musicians work with students of all ages and backgrounds throughout the Mid-South to develop music skills that will serve as the foundation for a child s development through lessons, masterclasses and coachings. Musicians work directly with students helping with technical and musical ideas. IRIS is setting up a pilot program to take this one step further and to utilize its vast network of musicians to help Mid-South based students who go out of town for college and need help and guidance. Budget $15,000.00 Strategy Long term Success Short Term Success The mission of IRIS Orchestra is to provide outstanding experiences in the concert hall, the classroom and throughout the Mid-South community through musical, educational, and mentoring endeavors. The Community Outreach and Engagement program is a direct result of this. It is the responsibility of every arts organization to give back to the community that supports it. IRIS Orchestra, known for bringing the finest musicians from around the country to share their talent and lives with our Mid-South community is looking to expand our Community Outreach and Engagement programs to create a full-time string quartet to work within the Shelby County school district and work with local arts organizations. This much-needed program meets multiple needs in our community. 1. Bringing in much needed classical music talent, at the highest level, to work with our local arts organizations; 2. Serving the public schools by providing teacher aides for our music teachers; 3. Createa full-time presence in the Mid-South for IRIS Orchestra. In turn, these musicians will receive much needed training in engagement and education as well as a year-long stipend and housing. This is win win for the community, IRIS and the fellows who participate. 8
Board & Governance Board Chair Board Chair Ms Andrea Bienstock Company Affiliation Belz Enterprises Term July 2014 to June 2019 Email Andrea.Bienstock@gmail.com Board Members Name Affiliation Status Andrea Bienstock Belz Enterprises, Corporate Council, Board Chair Voting Nancy Bogatin Retired Voting Richard Broer Retired Voting Paula Cohen Board Secretary Voting Dr. Clarence Davis Memphis Health Center Voting Joe Dunlap Dunlap & Kyle, Board VP Voting Gregory Fletcher Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C. Voting Ted Kitai Attorney - Evans Petree Voting Nat Landau Landau Uniforms Voting Susan Pfeffer UT Health Science Center Voting Dr. Thomas Ratliff Baptist Medical Group Voting J. Martin Regan Lewis Thomason, Past Chair Voting Nancy Russell Landau Uniforms Voting Lynda Smith Former Banker Voting Bischop J. Terry Steib Retired Voting Board Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 2 Asian American/Pacific Islander 1 Caucasian 12 Hispanic/Latino 0 Native American/American Indian 0 Board Demographics - Gender Male 9 Female 6 Unspecified 0 Governance 9
Board Term Lengths 2 Board Term Limits 0 Board Meeting Attendance % 70 Written Board Selection Criteria? Written Conflict of Interest Policy? Under Development Percentage Making Monetary Contributions 100 Number of Full Board Meetings Annually 8 Standing Committees Finance Marketing Executive Comments The relationship between the board of directors and the executive director is to have a high-functioning, effective nonprofit, it is critical for the executive director and the board of directors to understand and appreciate their distinct roles. Clear expectations for the board and the director are established and maintained because a board that is overly active in management can inhibit the organization's effectiveness. 10
Management Executive Director/CEO Executive Director Dave DePeters Term Start Feb 2012 Email davedepeters@irisorchestra.org Experience Executive Director David DePeters is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music.A musician first, his career included performing regularly with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He is currently CEO of the National Repertory Orchestra. Staff Full Time Staff 3 Part Time Staff 5 Volunteers 50 Contractors 140 Retention Rate 0 Plans Organization has a Fundraising Plan? Organization has a Strategic Plan? Years Strategic Plan Considers 2 Date Strategic Plan Adopted July 2015 Management Succession Plan? Under Development Organization Policy and Procedures Under Development Nondiscrimination Policy Whistleblower Policy Under Development Document Destruction Policy Under Development Directors and Officers Insurance Policy Affiliations Affiliation Year Leage of American Orchestras - Member 2000 11
Financials Fiscal Year July Fiscal Year 2018 Projected Revenue $1,665,183.00 Projected Expenses $1,661,411.00 Endowment Value 0 Spending Policy N/A Percentage (if selected) 0% s Detailed Financials Revenue and Expenses Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Total Revenue $1,003,327 $824,586 $649,311 Total Expenses $889,467 $759,457 $618,011 Revenue Sources 12
Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Foundation and Corporation $756,296 $613,235 $363,910 Contributions Government Contributions $0 $0 $0 Federal -- -- -- State -- -- -- Local -- -- -- Unspecified $0 $0 -- Individual Contributions -- -- $111,000 Indirect Public Support $0 $0 -- Earned Revenue $245,147 $209,446 $170,827 Investment Income, Net of Losses $795 $1,094 $765 Membership Dues $0 $0 -- Special Events $0 $0 -- Revenue In-Kind $0 $0 -- Other $0 $0 $2,809 Expense Allocation Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Program Expense $725,205 $637,368 -- Administration Expense $164,262 $122,089 -- Fundraising Expense $0 $0 -- Payments to Affiliates -- -- -- Total Revenue/Total Expenses 1.13 1.09 1.05 Program Expense/Total Expenses 82% 84% 0% Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue 0% 0% 0% Assets and Liabilities Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Total Assets $434,807 $352,366 $273,327 Current Assets $434,694 $347,718 -- Long-Term Liabilities $0 $0 $180,850 Current Liabilities $160,021 $191,440 -- Total Net Assets $274,786 $160,926 $92,477 Short Term Solvency Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities 2.72 1.82 -- Long Term Solvency Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets 0% 0% 66% Top Funding Sources Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount -- -- Formanek Foundation $65,000 Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount -- -- Hyde Family Foundation $50,000 Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount -- -- Great Oaks Foundation $60,000 Capital Campaign Currently in a Capital Campaign? No 13
Goal $0 Capital Campaign Anticipated in Next 5 Years? No State Charitable Solicitaions Permit Permit? Dec 2017 Comments Organization Comments IRIS Orchestra faced a number of challenges in the past five season. In January of 2012 IRIS faced a deficit crises. Short on cash with no reserve IRIS was on the brink of bankruptcy. But, because IRIS is a model with little overhead and tremendous flexibility, IRIS was able to manage expenses immediately. IRIS raised immediate cash through several large donors and planned a truncated next season to cut expenses. 2012-2013: Next, seeing diminishing audiences, we cut ticket prices, increased marketing and grew our subscription sales by 18%. 2014-2014: Next, seeing growth in ticket sales but flat earned income, we restructured our pricing to increase ticket revenue by 20%. 2015-2016: Now, with a sold out audience concert after concert, IRIS needed to expend our base through adding a second performance each concert week. This, while risky, was the only way to ensure creating a large enough audience to be able to sustain and grow. Created 12.12.2017. Copyright 2017 14