The following research will examine and compare business practices of three symphony orchestras in the Midwest region of the United States. This endeavor identifies qualities and points of concern in each orchestra's budget and operations, marketing and community engagement techniques, fundraising and programming strategies, and changing attendance factors as American society progresses into the twenty-first century. To emphasize the unique differences in mid-size symphony orchestras with larger counterparts in geographic proximity, the Youngstown Symphony Society will represent these smaller institutions to be compared with operations of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra. Through extensive analysis of financial documents, annual reports, scholarly research, and informational interviews, I conclude that the ability for a symphony orchestra to thrive and to remain relevant in modern American society is measured by its financial sustainability, effective marketing technique analysis, and ability to tailor engagement strategies to socioeconomic needs of its community.

Three geographically-related symphony orchestras are evaluated based on their financial stability, marketing techniques, and sensitivity to socioeconomic conditions of their respective communities. This study concludes that the viability of symphony orchestras is largely due to all three of these components of arts business and administration.