The financially troubled Norwalk Symphony Orchestra, which recently canceled its regular season, "absolutely" will hold a May 14 concert and possibly a gala dinner event earlier the same evening, said Emil Albanese, the incoming board president.

"There will be a symphony orchestra concert," Albanese said Friday afternoon after a meeting of the orchestra board's executive committee. He added, "There will absolutely be a May concert. ... We're not sure about the format. It's still in the planning stages."

In mid-January the symphony announced it was canceling its concert scheduled for Jan. 22 and its season as well, because it was short of funds. The problem has stemmed from a drop in contributions, not lack of interest from the audience, symphony officials have said. There is still enough financing in hand or available to stage a concert in May, they add.

"We fully anticipate a 2011-12 concert season," Albanese added. The upcoming concert will be included in the subscription to the now-canceled 2010-11 season, he said, and perhaps the dinner as well. He expects subscriptions to be applied to concerts in the upcoming season this fall, although the number of concerts is still up in the air, he said.

Better fundraising promised

Poorly organized fundraising is the root of the problem with the symphony, Albanese said. Other symphony orchestras have had fundraising problems because of the bad economy, and a couple have closed around the country, but a better funding campaign should keep the 71-year-old Norwalk orchestra in existence, he said.

"We've really fallen down in that area," Albanese said about the organization's fundraising. As the mix of businesses has changed in Norwalk over the years, with some companies leaving and others moving into the city, the orchestra hasn't reached out enough to the newer arrivals, which, he said, is "an indictment of what we've been doing."

A member of the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce, Albanese said he expects to tap various business people in the area to serve on a development committee. Albanese said he was surprised at a chamber event this winter at Diageo's North American headquarters in Norwalk to find the Bridgeport symphony had more of a presence there than the one in Norwalk.

Albanese said he also wants to improve fundraising in the communities around Norwalk. Westport in particular has a large number of subscribers to the symphony, and about half of the entire subscription comes from the two towns together, he said. Wilton, Weston, New Canaan and Darien all have a good number of subscribers, he said, although he didn't have any statistics at hand, he said. Other subscribers come from towns and cities within a 20-mile radius of Norwalk.

Subscribers and contributors should have a good idea of where there money is going, Albanese said, so he wants to be more open about the administration of the orchestra, with agendas and minutes of board meetings posted on the symphony's Web site.

Albanese said he is also open to ideas from the public on what kind of programming should be presented in the next season. "Nobody has a patent on good ideas," he said. "Maybe a pops concert? Something different?"

Merger?

The idea of a merger has been lightly touched on in conversations with officials at nearby orchestras and discussions have taken place even with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, which sometimes conducts concerts in New Canaan, Albanese said. "New Haven reached out to us," he said, and while the idea isn't under active consideration, it hasn't been rejected, either. "It didn't seem to make sense, geographically," he said, adding, "I'm not going to say 'No, thank you.'"

Officials at other orchestras have been far from dismissive of the idea of a merger, Albanese said, indicating to him that financing has been a headache for them, too.

"I wouldn't say no to any of these possibilities, but at this point it's got to be good (to merge) for everybody," he said.

Passing of the baton

Allen Raymond of Westport, who had previously been president of the board of directors, took over the job temporarily several weeks ago, but is handing over the reins to Albanese, whose current official title is vice president and who expects to formally accept the top position on the board on Feb. 17, at its next meeting.

Raymond, along with the symphony music director, Diane Wittry and fellow board member Kathryn Hebert, are helping to pull together plans for the May concert and possible dinner. The dinner would be held at a nearby restaurant, Albanese said.

Raymond, Albanese said, became president only on an interim basis and has been vital to the organization because he "knows it in and out" as a past president who has the experience and good taste to help make the upcoming concert a success.

"Diane has forwarded a couple of ideas for the format, but nothing's been decided," he said. "But I promise an interesting and well-produced program."

Albanese is owner of AE&t Worldwide Insurance Services, LLC., a New York City-based insurance and employee-benefits broker with offices in Port Chester and on Connecticut Ave. in Norwalk.

Quite a history

The Norwalk Symphony Orchestra has had a distinguished life since its inaugural concert on May 9, 1939 under the musical directorship of Edward Kreiner. The following year, professional flutist and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Quinto Maganini took over as music director and conductor.

During Maganini’s tenure, the Symphony grew in influence in the community. Classical music superstars Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Pearlman and Emanuel Ax all played with the Norwalk Symphony as guest artists early in their careers, according to the Orchestra’s website.

Following Maganini’s retirement in 1967, the Symphony continued to develop its musical profile under a succession of music directors. Once an all-volunteer ensemble, its 65 musicians drawn from three states came to be fully-paid professionals.

Diane Wittry has been music director and conductor since her debut in 2002. Wittry has had an international career as a guest conductor and is the recipient of many awards and honors. She’s author of Beyond the Baton, published in 2007 by Oxford University Press, a guide for young conductors and music directors.

The Symphony’s home, the elegant 850-seat Concert Hall at Norwalk City Hall, is celebrated for its acoustics.