The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra ended the 2009 fiscal year with a budget deficit of $2.8-million, a nearly tenfold increase from the previous year, according to The Indianapolis Star.

Declines in ticket sales, donations, and contributions from the symphony’s foundation, which manages the orchestra’s endowment, contributed to the flow of red ink. The 79-year-old symphony last month cut musicians’ salaries by 12 percent.

In other arts news, the University of California has abandoned plans for a $143-million new home for the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, says the San Francisco Chronicle. University officials said they remain committed to replacing the current structure, which is not safe for earthquakes, but that in the wake of the economic downturn, the current design is too expensive.

Also, the Boston classical music station WCRB will seek support from private sources following the federal government’s approval of its merger with the public broadcaster WGBH, writes The Boston Globe.

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