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Miscellaneous
Symphony Recieves First-ever $1 Million Gift
Santa Barbara, CA — Closing the first phase of
a multi-year campaign to build the Santa Barbara Symphony's
endowment fund entitled "Securing the Future," General
Manager Robert Birman announced today that the orchestra
has received it's first-ever $1 million gift from long-time
Symphony supporters John and Linda Hedgepeth of Santa
Barbara. This significant commitment to the future of
the orchestra endows the conductor's podium iin perpetuity,
which will now carry the name, "The John M. and Linda
L. Hedgepeth Conductor's Podium."
"We have known most of the conductors of the Symphony,
and they have all benn excellent. Gisèle Ben-Dor happens
to be our favorite. She is a talented, dedicated and
intelligent conductor, and John and I are most pleased
to give this gift while she occupies the conductor's
podium. We have enjoyed watching the growth of the Symphony
over the years," remarks Linda Hedgepeth, past President
of the Santa Barbara Symphony League and current member
of the Symphony Board of Directors.
"The Symphony is very honored to be the recipient of
this leadership gift from the Hedgepeth family," says
Birman. "John and Linda have been two of the most avid
supporters of the orchestra through past and present
work with the Symphony Board and Symphony League, and
have always been viewed as two of the most cherished
members of the Symphony family." Symphony Music Director,
Gisèle Ben-Dor, calls the Hedgepth's, "a community treasure,
and personally, amongst my very closest friends in the
Symphony. I am deeply honored by this gift to the podium
I now occupy, which is extremely generous and the first
of this magnitude ever given to us. My warmest thoughts
and admiration to John and Linda, who have always been
there for us, inspiring us to do our best, and always
joyfully. I love them both very much."
The Symphony's "Securing the Future" campaign's original
aim was to raise $2.5 million by the year 2000 which
would have increased the total endowment to $4 million.
Due to both the recent growth of the securities markets
and the generosity of the Orchestra's patrons, the fund
exceeded $5 million prior to the Hedgepeth's gift. Symphony
President and Endowment Campaign Co-Chair, Evan Collins,
calls this gift, "a very generous and important factor
in reaching our long term goal of securing the Symphony's
future with a $10 million endowment."
With a constant eye to the future, the Symphony Board
has already begun planning for its 50th Anniversary
Season in 2002-03, which includes the next phase of
the multi-year campaign entitled, "50 for 50" - an effort
to secure 50 orchestra chair sponsorships before the
50th season. "The endowment of the conductor's podium
couldn't have come at a better time for the Symphony,"
says Birman. "This gift symbolizes the leadership and
vision required to build secure underpinnings for this
major cultural institution into the 21st century. This
is a gift that will keep on giving - to all of Santa
Barbara - ensuring that the Symphony always has a first-tier
conductor to bring great symphonic music and the finest
educational programs to everyone in the community."
The Symphony's current season culminates May 13 and
14 with concerts at the Arlington Theatre. Music Director
Gisèle Ben-Dor will lead a program of Beethoven's Missa
Solemnis with members of the Santa Barbara Choral Society,
Los Robles Master Chorale and South Bay Master Chorale.
Tickets may be ordered by calling (805) 963-4408, or
by visiting the orchestra's web site at www.thesymphony.org.
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