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For Immediate Release BUFFALO, NY – At the BPO’s Opening Night Gala concert, Board of Trustees Chair Louis P. Ciminelli announced the Crescendo Campaign, a comprehensive fundraising initiative designed to provide financial stability for the BPO for years to come. The campaign aims to raise $30 million, which will push the endowment past the $50 million mark, address current operational needs and secure new planned gift commitments. A silent phase of the campaign has already brought in more than $17 million. Ciminelli and BPO Board of Trustees Vice-Chair Angelo Fatta are co-chairs of the Crescendo Campaign Committee. In celebration of his 60th birthday on September 17, Ciminelli has made a $1 million gift to the campaign in honor of BPO Executive Director Daniel Hart. “It is our privilege to receive Louis Ciminelli’s tremendous and transformative gift. His generosity is paving the way for our campaign,” said Hart. “An increased, secured endowment will not only allow the BPO to expand its reach to the broader community, but allow us to approach our projects from a place of financial strength.” Ciminelli said, “The position of Executive Director, and Dan Hart in particular, is crucial to the health and well-being of this organization. Sound fiscal management is critical to the BPO, and I know that with Dan in charge, the organization will be stable for many generations to come, for which I am forever grateful.” Additionally as part of the Crescendo Campaign, the BPO looks to designate $10 million of the endowment funds raised to establish the Next Generation Education Fund. These funds will support key growth strategies for the BPO’s award-winning education programs, including expanding the Music For Youth series, bringing more BPO musicians into classrooms, and assisting school districts with transportation to concerts. “Having a successful campaign will increase our endowment to a level that will allow us to continue to provide the people of Western New York with world-class concert music and to extend our educational outreach to over 50,000 students each year,” said Fatta. “I am especially pleased that our Crescendo Campaign will help us increase our commitment to education, and will build upon our musicians’ dedication to the young people of our region,” said BPO Music Director JoAnn Falletta. “This endowment will help us share the beauty of music in a broader and more significant way, and help students learn about their environment- and about themselves- through the Buffalo Philharmonic.” To jump-start this fund, the Tower Family Fund, Inc. has challenged the BPO to a dollar-to-dollar match opportunity. They have pledged a $1 million gift if the BPO can secure another $1 million in contributions. To make a gift or learn more information about the campaign, please contact Katie Bates Johnson, Crescendo Campaign Coordinator, at 716-242-7828 or kbates@bpo.org, or visit http://bpo.org/support-the-bpo/endowment/. For answers to frequently asked questions, click here. |
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As Buffalo’s cultural ambassador, the Grammy Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under the leadership of music director JoAnn Falletta presents more than 100 concerts each year. Since 1940, the orchestra’s home has been Kleinhans Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark with a reputation as one of the finest concert halls in the United States. During the tenure of JoAnn Falletta, the BPO has rekindled its history of radio broadcasts and recordings, including the release of 32 new recordings on the Naxos and Beau Fleuve labels. For more information about the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, visit www.bpo.org. # # #
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