SALT LAKE CITY -- Officials at the Utah Symphony & Opera said rising ticket sales and donations make them "cautiously optimistic" that the organization is recovering from near financial disaster.

Utah Symphony CEO Anne Ewers and music director Keith Lockhart said weathering the struggles has made the group stronger.

A year ago, musicians went public with their concerns about the organization's finances, and patrons began to fear it would fold as cash reserves dwindled. In the two years after the symphony and opera merged in 2002 -- a marriage proposed to save money -- the organization had run up deficits totaling $3.4 million.

At the time, administrators were also finalizing a plan to fix the problems, said Sean Toomey, US&O director of marketing and communications.

Tom Morris, a consultant hired to help with the plan, told The Salt Lake Tribune the organization is on the rebound.

After dropping 27 percent in two years, Utah Opera sales gained ground in the 2004-05 season. The Utah Symphony last year managed to stop its downward slide -- nearly 18 percent in three years -- ending with relatively flat sales.

As of last week, ticket sales for both groups were about 4 percent ahead of projections.

Gifts to the US&O also took a hit when the economy stumbled and some disgruntled patrons pulled funds to protest the merger.

Some patrons have come back, Ewers said. "Everybody had to get used to this merged organization and see if they still wanted to support it," she said. A report given to board members last week shows that with five months left in the fiscal year, the US&O has raised $3.5 million, slightly more than half of its $6.2 million target for this year.

Morris also recommended the organization needed a stronger board. Patricia Richards, a senior vice president with Wells Fargo, was named chairwoman of the US&O board. She has been given high marks by most everyone involved.

"Pat Richards has been incredible in implementing a lot of these issues," said bass player Claudia Norton. "I'm very thankful to her and the board for taking on (the Morris) report."

Under Richards' leadership, board members agreed to make personal contributions of $10,000 to the organization each year.

The board is also exerting more control over the CEO, redefining the job description and conducting annual reviews.

No one took more heat than Ewers last year. "The tallest statue in the park gets the most pigeon jazz," she said recently. But Ewers, an ever-perky pitchwoman who greets reporters with a hug, said she made mistakes.

"Let me tell you," she said, "Pollyanna is gone."

Morris said the CEO was trying to do too much -- she was not only the CEO, but also the driving force behind the Deer Valley Music Festival and the general director for the opera. She responded by giving up day-to-day control of the opera.

US&O will also have to find ways to fund growing salaries, the institution's single biggest expenditure -- $8 million of its $17 million budget. Compensation climbed 80 percent between 1994 and 2004. Last year, the musicians agreed to a two-year wage freeze, though they have the option of reopening negotiations this spring. Base pay is $57,000, the lowest among the nation's 17 orchestras that work year-round.

The US&O will try to lure more patrons with new programming, offering a "casual" concert next fall.

Morris said he would like to see conductor Keith Lockhart spend more time in Utah, but that is unlikely to change much.

Lockhart will continue to split his time between Salt Lake City and Boston, where he heads up the Boston Pops.

Lockhart said his living here year-round wouldn't guarantee a better orchestra. "What matters is what you do when you're here. My commitment to this place is real," he said.

The biggest challenge may be ensuring the success of the US&O's summertime offering, the Deer Valley Music Festival. A second consultant, Stephen Basili, last fall pointed out a number of troubling issues with the festival, noting that it relies largely on a few donors.