Expensive works—such as Mahler's Symphony No. 3, which requires extra musicians and two choruses—have been replaced with repertoire that the orchestra can more easily accommodate. More obscure works have also been cut, as well as pieces that require sheet-music rental rather than those already available in the orchestra's own library.

Music director George Hanson schedules a Mahler symphony each year.

Other works cut from the schedule include Barber's Symphony No. 1 and Julišn Orb‹n's Tres Versiones Sinfonicas. They will be replaced with works such as Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2.

Sandra Guilfoyle, TSO marketing director, said of the substitutions, "I think these will be welcomed changes, and people will be happy. These will be pieces from the standard repertoire. We're not changing any guest artists."

The changes in schedule create a savings of about $60,000 for the orchestra. Other measures to reduce the debt include the suspension of the orchestra's Discovery Family Series and Symphony With a Twist program, as well as layoffs and operating-cost reduction.

In addition, the orchestra is currently negotiating with the Tuscon Symphony Orchestra Musicians' Organizations, although neither party will make any sort of statement before an agreement is reached.