The Oklahoma City Philharmonic has announced its Orchestrating Greatness campaign has exceeded the $9 million goal.
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The campaign, the largest philanthropic endeavor undertaken by the Philharmonic, was launched in the spring of 2006 with a $1.25 million donation from the Inasmuch Foundation.
Earlier this month, Devon Energy donated $1 million to the campaign.
A second gift from Jeannette and Dick Sias put the campaign over the $9 million mark.
"We are so grateful to Jeannette and Dick Sias for their loyal friendship and support of the Philharmonic,” Eddie Walker, the Philharmonic's executive director, said in a May 15 announcement.
"This most recent gift is one more example of their longstanding commitment to ensuring the stability and artistic growth and vitality of the orchestra,” Walker said. "We take great pleasure in celebrating them as honorary campaign chairs and for putting us over our goal of $9 million.”
The Orchestrating Greatness campaign helps ensure funding for four major areas of need:
•Excellence in orchestral music: The endowment will strengthen the Philharmonic's ability to engage superior, well-known music artists; showcase the world's brightest emerging artists for its Classics Series; and provide the best in entertainment for its Pops Series.
•Superior music education programs: The endowment will help support and expand 19 educational programs benefiting community youths as well as adults.
•Free community concerts throughout the state: This funding will help provide free concerts and entertainment to people who may not have other opportunities to experience live orchestral music, potentially expanding the Philharmonic's outreach from 135,000 to more than 250,000 people annually.
•Collaborative opportunities with other arts organizations: By establishing a permanent, dedicated endowment fund, live orchestral services can be ensured for Ballet Oklahoma and Canterbury Choral Society performances, according to their programming needs.
Additional lead donors for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic's Orchestrating Greatness campaign were Ann Simmons Alspaugh; Martha Burger and Donald Rowlett; Chesapeake Energy Corporation; the Crawley Family Foundation; Devon Energy; E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation; the Freede family; Mrs. Jane B. Harlow; Cliff and Leslie Hudson; Kirkpatrick Family Fund; Mr. and Mrs. Duke R. Ligon; Tom and Judy Love; McCasland Foundation; Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey K. McClendon; Meinders Foundation; MidFirst Bank and the Records family; Mustang Fuel Corporation; Oklahoma City Orchestra League, which named the annual Emerging Artist Concert; Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co.; Ray and Pat Potts; Mrs. Martha Williams, who named the Principal Horn Chair in memory of the late G. Rainey Williams.
