Donor Spotlight
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Yo-Yo Ma and Ann Louise Ciminelli at Opening Night Gala (Sept. 2005) |
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Q&A with Louis P. CiminelliA major supporter of BPO's Secure the Future Campaign
How did you become involved with the BPO? I've always loved classical music. At St. Joe's
Collegiate Institute, I attended a music appreciation course where I was able to study early classical music and learned about the link between Bach and Rock. During this class was my first experience with the BPO. We
were required to attend performances. I've carried my passion for classical music with me through the years, and it was a natural fit for me to be involved with the BPO. What has been your most memorable experience with the BPO?
I've been lucky enough to meet one of my favorite musicians, Yo-Yo Ma. Through the BPO I have been able to
build a relationship with him, and I treasure the conversations and time I've spent with such a phenomenal artist.
What do you feel the BPO means to the WNY Community?
The BPO is a vital asset to WNY. I feel the orchestra is very critical to our community and it legitimizes Buffalo as a major cultural city and destination. What do you foresee in the BPO's Future?
The future is looking brighter and brighter. We are strengthening the BPO's endowment and our enriched endowment will give us the ability to resolve the deficit issue and move forward. We decided to tackle our
endowment campaign after benchmarking other peer orchestras. We learned that the BPO was the lowest ranked orchestra in terms of the endowment balance, but the highest in government aid. After 9/11, government
aid was sharply decreased and it was decided that now is now time for the community to come forward and replace the funds that were lost. I am happy to be among the first to participate in this most important campaign.To participate in the Secure the Future Endowment Campaign, call Margaret Phillips, BPO Director of Development at 885-0331, ext 410. |
