It's not your grandparents' orchestra. Behind the scenes, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra operates its own entertainment company, whose profits support the orchestra's 52-week operations.

President Steven Monder presides over an empire that includes Pepsi Jammin' on Main, Riverbend Music Center (which it owns) and the Tall Stacks Music, Arts & Heritage Festival, which will include five nights of music.

The CSO manages this with its subsidiary, Music & Events Management Inc., headed by Mike Smith, formerly of concert promoters Nederlander and SFX.

The CSO's reach spans every genre. What you see in Riverbend's contemporary shows - where Clear Channel Entertainment books everything from heavy metal to classic rock - is quite different from the classical pianists, violinists and soft-pop stars the orchestra will book for its CSO and Pops concerts in Music Hall. (And for choral music, Mr. Monder presides over the May Festival, too.)

With an operating budget of about $30 million, the CSO is big business, but despite its charismatic music director Paavo Jarvi, it fights a battle against dwindling interest in classical music.

Now that City Council has voted for the so-called "jock tax," which will tax all athletes and out-of-town performing artists, Mr. Monder predicts that artists will negotiate higher fees.