The St. Louis Symphony ended 2016 with the healthiest bottom line in many years.

The good news includes the first balanced cash operating budget this century for the institution, which has a budget of $28.1 million, up from $26.6 million last year. The symphony saw growth in philanthropic support, and increased attendance and ticket sales.

In a news release, St. Louis Symphony President and CEO, Marie-Hélène Bernard praised the symphony's board and the generosity of the St. Louis area. She cited innovative experiences as factors in the orchestra’s achievements.

“At home, on tour and through electronic media projects, the St. Louis Symphony is reaching a growing audience and finding new and fresh ways to make music relevant here and around the world,” Bernard said.

Figures that contributed to the Symphony’s banner year include:

• The annual campaign garnered $7.68 million from 5,394 donors — 30 percent of whom were new.
• Endowment-related assets under management exceeded $200 million.
• Overall ticket revenue increased by almost 4 percent to $6.87 million.

Barry Beracha, chairman of the St. Louis Symphony Board of Trustees, said many people contributed to the organization's accomplishments.

“Thanks to our growing audiences and generous donors and sponsors, we just completed one of the most successful years in recent Symphony history,” Beracha said.

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Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the time the symphony went without a balanced budget.

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