Team: Alan Kline, Surale Phillips
September 1, 2022
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO), located in Edmonton, Alberta, is a professional Canadian orchestra. Serving as the musical hub for Alberta’s creative capital, the ESO offers over 85 concerts annually, showcasing a diverse range of symphonic music from classical to country. These core musicians are not only performers but also educators and recording artists.
Alan Kline (Director of Audience Research Programs, WolfBrown) and Surale Phillips (Principal, WolfBrown) led audience research with the Orchestra between 2021 and 2022. The project assessed audience attitudes about subscription, membership, and new program formats. Alan Kline conducted a quantitative survey of ticket buyers, including current and lapsed subscribers, to understand reactions to new membership offers and barriers to attendance. Surale Phillips led a series of qualitative virtual focus groups testing new programs. She held focus group discussions with non-returners who indicated comfort in attending live events but had not returned to the Orchestra. The goal was to quickly gather insights to inform decisions about changes to the membership structure and programming, focusing on factors within the Orchestra’s control.