SpringfieldNewsSun.com

Peter Stafford Wilson makes his living by holding a little stick.

Usually, he's in a tux. With tails.

But on June 1, the conductor of classical music struck a common chord with any blue-collar Joe who's ever played a part in a corporate symphony of destruction — his health insurance was cut off.

Facing a budget that was once again off by millions, and with contract talks with the union musicians face down in Nowheresville, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra suspended operations earlier this year.

Wilson has been associate conductor there for almost 20 years. He had to jump to his wife's insurance.

He's also been music director of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra since 2002, and recently signed a new contract through 2011.

Call it a tale of two orchestras.

One wanted to be bigger than it ever was and, as a result, money has seemingly been an issue since the baroque era.

The other lives within its means and, moneywise, enjoys a strong community base.

Only one will start the 2008-09 season on time — Springfield.

"And, yes, we are advertising in the Columbus market," Wilson said. "It's not about stealing business. It's about keeping the art form alive."

Even within the ranks of the local symphony, opinions vary on whether orchestras that play centuries-old epics in a ringtone world can stay afloat.

Quite possibly as a result of having his health insurance ripped out from underneath him in Columbus, the maestro is more pessimistic.

"It's very fragile," Wilson said.

He talks about how Leonard Bernstein predicted the end of orchestras, and how maybe that day has come.

"There is a limited audience for what we do," Wilson said.

That's not all.

"It's an art form," he warned, "that cannot survive."

In almost two decades in what's now the biggest city in the state, Wilson has seen audiences dwindle.

"I remember crowds of over 2,000," he explained. "Now we get excited when there are 1,000 people in the hall."

David Deitrick, executive director of the Springfield Symphony, would like to see more people locally in Kuss Auditorium — the SSO pulls about 800 people per concert — but he isn't so sure classical music is dead.

"That's been going on since I was a little kid," Deitrick said. "Here we are, years later, saying the same thing.

"That's an easy way out to say I haven't done my job well."

The Springfield Symphony, he said, will welcome 57 new subscribers for the 2008-09 season, and has received inquiries from people in Columbus.

In a recent letter to donors and subscribers, the Columbus Symphony detailed the history of its money woes, and even coined a new phrase in the process — "donor fatigue."

"Economically, Columbus has everything going for it," Deitrick said. "It's the only city in the state that's growing. Yet we have a good, strong base.

"We have not tried to grow too big for our community."

To be fair, the two orchestras are way different — Springfield employs only freelance musicians, whereas Columbus has full-time, salaried musicians.

That's a big sticking point over there in contract talks.

Like in most jobs anymore, management wants more part-timers — thing is, though, symphonic musicians look better in black tuxes than blue smocks.

"The Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, they're going to survive," Wilson said. "They're the pinnacle of accomplishment in our field. The Springfield, the Lima, the Canton and the Youngstown orchestras are going to survive. They are staffed by freelancers."

Wilson wonders if orchestras like the one here, with players paid per-service, are the wave of the future.

Whether mid-sized orchestras are being cut down by bad management, changing tastes or just some invisible, interplanetary force, who knows.

But thanks to the SSO, Wilson will still be able to step on a podium and at least make some music.

"I'm so glad to have it," he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0352 or amcginn@coxohio.com.

Next up for the SSO

What: The Springfield Symphony Orchestra pays homage to the Westcott House with a special multimedia concert, "Frank Lloyd Wright's Westcott House: A Centennial Tribute"

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6

Where: Kuss Auditorium

Tickets: $35; $18 for students. Call (937) 328-3874 or go to westcotthouse.org.

The SSO's 2008-09 season begins on Oct. 4. Visit springfieldsym.org for more information.