Court freezes $6.5M Phoenix Symphony gift after season ends
A Maricopa County judge approved the Tansley Trust donation in October, but the trustee moved to pause the transfer two weeks later.
By Henry Wilson ·
The Phoenix Symphony has not received $6.5 million in promised funding. A Maricopa County judge ordered the funds frozen on Oct. 22, two weeks after initially approving the transfer. The legal halt leaves the orchestra without the capital it needed to continue its season.
The money comes from the trust of Glenn and May Tansley, a late couple from the Valley. On Oct. 14, a judge sanctioned the release of the gift to the orchestra. Eight days later, the trust’s trustee filed a motion to stop the payout. The filing alleged that the symphony hid the severity of its financial crisis from the trust before the court approved the transaction.
The orchestra announced it was suspending its season and laying off its entire roster of musicians days after the trustee filed the motion. One musician described the sudden end to the season as personally and artistically devastating. The musician noted the difficulty of dedicating a life to an ensemble that stops performing without warning.
The trustee argued in legal documents that the symphony failed to disclose its plans to halt operations before the court approved the payout. The organization maintains it did not mislead the trust. In a public statement, the symphony said it disagrees with the trustee’s characterization of its actions. The group plans to respond to the motion in court soon.
The symphony’s CEO called the timing of the announcements a coincidence. Leadership explained that the trust was drafted in 1992 with specific restrictions. Those terms limit the gift to a permanent memorial fund. This means the principal cannot be used to cover day-to-day operating deficits, which is why the CEO said the money would not have saved the current season.
The organization stated that suspending the season does not mean it has ceased operating. It is currently focused on restructuring its finances to allow live performances to resume eventually. A judge has not yet ruled on the trustee’s motion to reverse the Oct. 14 approval.
For now, the $6.5 million remains in escrow. The orchestra continues to operate without the funds while the court weighs the trustee’s allegations against the symphony’s defense.
Source: KTVK
