Symphony New Brunswick Foundation Campaign Supports Growth of Culture, Economy
SAINT JOHN – Symphony New Brunswick has been providing cultural enrichment since 1983, building on a legacy established 70 years ago when the original Saint John Symphony Orchestra was founded.
That orchestra, which served the City until 1962, began life in 1950 with a sold-out concert at Saint John High School.
Over the decades, Symphony New Brunswick has offered a broad-based program, providing a stage for young musicians, the Saint John String Quartet and popular crossover shows with musicians like David Myles, Steven Page, and Jeremy Dutcher.
The Symphony itself is supported by government grants and revenue from shows and private donations. But the Symphony New Brunswick Foundation, founded in 1993, now plays a critical role in maintaining and growing the diverse range of symphony programing.
“The Foundation has been a lifeline in recent years for the Symphony, providing between 25-30 per cent of the cash needed to keep the Symphony operating,” says Gillian Gresh, Director, Donor Relations who manages fund-raising for both the Symphony and the Foundation.
The Foundation is a separate charity with an independent board of directors that administers an endowment fund for the Symphony.
“The Foundation currently holds assets of about $6.3-million,” says Gresh, “but this money is a trust fund with a strict limit on what can be paid out annually. In order for the Symphony to grow this fund also has to grow, which is the focus of the current campaign.”
The campaign was designed to celebrate the 70th anniversary of symphonic music in the province. Depending on growth in the Foundation, the Symphony plans to hire more full-time or “core” musicians (it presently has nine including its Music Director).
Gresh says that with additional musicians on the payroll, the Symphony will have a more stable, self-sustaining platform which will further improve the quality of the orchestra and also permit expansion of the Symphony’s extensive school music program.
The campaign kicked off with an anonymous $70,000 donation as a matching grant incentive. The Foundation is also eligible for matching federal government grants through the Canada Cultural Investment Fund administered by Canadian Heritage.
“The past year has been difficult because of the pandemic,” said Gresh, “but we are thankful we were able to produce live concerts last fall and again this spring even though the orchestra had to be scaled back and there are restrictions on how many people can attend.
Gresh says the impacts of Symphony New Brunswick and other large arts organizations go way beyond just entertaining our audiences.
“We are significant employers and powerful economic drivers,” she says. “When people invest in our Foundation and the Symphony, it’s creating other returns because all the funds spent on arts and culture yield multiple different spin-off economic activities.”
The Symphony also nurtures emerging artists and composers like flutist Phoebe Robertson, who performed in the Symphony’s “Future Promises” production this month.
“Without Symphony New Brunswick these young talented musicians wouldn’t have a place like this to gain experience and promote their careers,” she says.
The Symphony also gives young people the chance to attend its shows.
“We offer discounted tickets to youth and place students in donated seats whenever possible. At our last show, we were able to welcome Youth Orchestra and Sistema students in the audience due to the generosity of a sponsor. It is essential to give young people in the community an opportunity to experience live orchestra music.”
To support the Symphony New Brunswick Foundation matching Campaign visit snbfoundation.org.
Banner photo: Performance of the First Concert by the Saint John Symphony Orchestra, Saint John High School Auditorium, December 12, 1950. Image: New Brunswick Museum–Musée du Nouveau-Brunswick, www.nbm-mnb.ca # SJSymphonyScrapbk-pg13