(Claims that the orchestra had been continuously operating since 1879 are municipal puffery and not accurate.)

The orchestra operates in the black, with its endowment approaching its $3 million goal.

The orchestra now operates as a public company with a board of directors.

Today, most major orchestras and opera companies operate primarily as preservers of tradition.

During its history the orchestra has operated under various names:

The orchestra, he said, has only three full-time employees and operates on an annual budget of $1.5 million.

The orchestra operates on an annual budget of about $150,000, not counting players' fees, Ms. Wolfe said.

Kenton comments on the unprecedented conditions this orchestra operated under, "The Capitol people were with me all the way.

Since its debut, in 1990, the orchestra has operated independently of state support.

The orchestra operates out of the offices of the Bangkok Opera Foundation.