Concerts are set to leave Descanso Gardens

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — Summertime at Descanso Gardens will be a little less melodic after the Pasadena Symphony Assn. and Pasadena Pops announced earlier this month that, after 15 years, the summer concert series would be leaving the lush grounds for cheaper pastures.

The Concerts Under the Stars series will instead be staged at the Rose Bowl next season, according to the association.

The decision is part of a recovery plan to help end the symphony’s next season with a balanced $3.2-million budget as it gradually pays off $800,000 in debt, said Paul Jan Zdunek, chief executive for the Pasadena Symphony Assn.

The symphony’s $5-million endowment will remain untouched as a reserve, allowing it to potentially grow and meet future needs.

Zdunek has been with the organization for the past six months.

He previously worked with the Modesto Symphony, getting that organization back on track after similar financial difficulties, he said.

The decision to move the summer concert series disappointed many La Cañada season ticket holders.

“This is very bad; we’re not renewing our subscriptions,” said La Cañada resident Patty Kindel.

Kindel, who has been a bassoonist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the past 28 years, said she understands there may be financial difficulties for the Pasadena group, but she and her neighbors — about a dozen of whom shared their regular table at a recent event — won’t join the series when it moves to Pasadena.

“It just wouldn’t be the same there. It changes the demographics. This is a sad day,” she said.

Steve Brown said he and his wife, Olivia, have attended the Descanso Gardens event for the past five years. One of the best things about the event was it offered a chance for residents to get together with friends and have dinner together with the beauty of the gardens and the music, he said.

“We’re not renewing. We’ll set aside one day a month to get together with our neighborhood friends, and maybe we’ll go to Music in the Park at Memorial Park,” he added.

Pat Anderson, president and chief executive of the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce, echoed residents’ sentiments.

“I’m extremely disappointed. The people who come to [the concerts] also come and shop in La Cañada, so we will lose a lot of business as well,” she said.