The San Antonio Philharmonic is seeking over $1 million USD in damages in a legal dispute over the orchestra’s continued presence at the Scottish Rite Hall.
According to a 2024 agreement, the hall was slated to serve as the orchestra’s permanent home. According to Texas Public Radio, however, the building’s owner, the San Antonio Scottish Rite Library and Museum, claimed that the orchestra failed to raise the funds required for the redevelopment of the hall, indicating that this failure was grounds for termination of the agreement.
In a March 16th court filing, the San Antonio Philharmonic disputed this claim, saying that both organizations had continued operating under the terms of the 2024 agreement through late 2025. According to the filing, the orchestra had invested in temporary HVAC systems, repairs, and accessibility planning for the building, as well as raising $750,000 to support upgrades to the hall. The orchestra also asserted that the Scottish Rite Library and Museum had acknowledged that the fundraising threshold had been met in April 2025.
The San Antonio Philharmonic has faced considerable financial difficulties and administrative upheaval in recent years, including litigation filed by former board members disputing the orchestra’s governance. Most recently, the orchestra was forced to cancel the remainder of its 2026/2026 season after the unexpected departure of Music Director Jeffrey Kahane.