{"id":404598,"date":"2025-11-25T22:54:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T22:54:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/404598\/"},"modified":"2025-11-25T22:54:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T22:54:17","slug":"scottish-rite-moves-to-evict-san-antonio-philharmonic-a-year-after-orchestra-vowed-to-make-site-its-permanent-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/404598\/","title":{"rendered":"Scottish Rite moves to evict San Antonio Philharmonic a year after orchestra vowed to make site its permanent home"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Then-ScottishThen-Scottish Rite Board Chairman Richard Park (left) and San Antonio Philharmonic Executive Director Roberto Trevino sign paperwork last year enabling the orchestra to share use of the Scottish Rite Temple\u2019s auditorium. Credit: Sanford Nowlin<\/p>\n

San Antonio\u2019s Scottish Rite fraternal order has given the San Antonio Philharmonic until Friday, Nov. 28 to vacate the group\u2019s historic downtown building, a letter obtained by Current shows.<\/p>\n

The document signals a possible split between the two organizations after they reached an agreement<\/a> a little more than a year ago to make the imposing 1924 structure and its 2,200-seat auditorium the orchestra\u2019s permanent home.<\/p>\n

Most of the Philharmonic\u2019s musicians previously served in the now-defunct San Antonio Symphony, the Tobin Center\u2019s resident arts organization. However, the performance space never offered a return invitation to the new orchestra, forcing it to rent out performance spaces until it inked a deal with the Scottish rite in October 2024.<\/p>\n

James Carter IV, the attorney for the Scottish Rite whose name appears on the order to vacate, declined comment. <\/p>\n

Philharmonic Executive Director Roberto Trevi\u00f1o\u00a0said he wasn\u2019t at liberty to discuss the letter other than to say the orchestra\u2019s attorney is in talks with Carter. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe attorneys for both sides are talking, and the communication is good,\u201d said Trevi\u00f1o, a former San Antonio city councilman. \u201cWe hope to have a statement soon clearing this up.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the letter states the Philharmonic can no longer \u201cuse or occupy\u201d the building after this Friday, it does allow the orchestra to rent the auditorium for its scheduled concerts on Dec. 12 and 13 as well as Jan. 16 and 17. To do so, the arts organization would be required to pay a flat fee of $2,000 per performance at least three days in advance. <\/p>\n

The document also states that the Philharmonic can continue to use the building for practice sessions at a cost of $300 for up to four hours. <\/p>\n

Both the fees for the performances and practice sessions are below market rates, according to the letter, and are \u201coffered to help facilitate your transition to a new location.\u201d <\/p>\n

The notice doesn\u2019t state what issues have come up between the Scottish Rite and the Philharmonic, who trumpeted the agreement during a public ceremony last fall as a win-win situation that would benefit the local arts community. <\/p>\n

\u201cOne of our main tenets is to promote public education of the arts. That\u2019s what this building was built for, and that\u2019s what happened here for half a century,\u201d said Robert Park, then-board chairman for the San Antonio Scottish Rite chapter told the Current at the time. \u201cI\u2019m glad that it\u2019s happening again.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the signing ceremony, Trevi\u00f1o told the Current that an architecture firm estimates the auditorium would need $5 million to $10 million upgrades to become a long-term home for the Philharmonic and could require some $50 million in improvements over the longer term. <\/p>\n

At the time, Trevi\u00f1o said the Philharmonic would seek local, state and federal funding to conduct the upgrades and launch a\u00a0capital campaign to pull in additional money from donors.<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s unclear what improvements have occurred at the aging building since then. <\/p>\n

Temporary heating and cooling equipment has been in use at some recent Philharmonic performances, and the structure still appears to be working toward meeting full Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, the Philharmonic\u00a0remains embroiled in multiple lawsuits<\/a>\u00a0over who controls its operations. Last year, Trevi\u00f1o told the Current that the organization had been \u201cimpacted financially\u201d by the ongoing court cases, which led to the postponement of at least two performances last fall. <\/p>\n

Last month, the Philharmonic postponed its Classics III concerts, scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 7-8, marking the second time one of the orchestra\u2019s fall 2025 events has been rescheduled for a later date.<\/p>\n

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