Urban orchestras are trying out numerous innovations to remain viable amid labor strife, record deficits, and a graying audience, Salon reports.

In Sacramento, Calif., the local philharmonic and opera company are exploring a merger, while in Syracuse, N.Y., a partnership led by Syracuse University is drafting a five-year plan to replace the bankrupt Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.

Reflecting a growing trend among younger musical directors, John Thomas Dodson of southern Michigan’s Adrian Symphony Orchestra is devising new-style performances in conjunction with other community events, seeking to tap crossover audiences.

“All the data tells us all new audiences are looking for different things,” said Jesse Rosen, head of advocacy group the League of American Orchestras. “The appetite for classical music remains as strong as ever, [but] the desire for it is expressing itself in different ways besides people buying tickets.”