Building Relationships Around the State

Dear Symphony Friends,

Many of you have heard Carlos Kalmar’s artistic vision of “touching the heart and soul of every Oregonian.” As co-chair of the Friends of the Oregon Symphony in Coos County, I believe strongly in that mission. Thus, we’re putting those words into action.

The Symphony’s Education and Community Engagement programs bring music to schools across the state, exposing children to the arts. There’s a reason why it’s being used as a model across the country. It works. I had the opportunity to see that firsthand during the Symphony’s presence in North Bend two years ago. We then set out to build upon that excitement, creating a sustainable network of supporters in the area.

We recently held our first inaugural event for the Coos County chapter of the Friends of the Oregon Symphony, and folks were just simply blown away. The quality of the music from Resident Conductor Gregory Vajda and the Symphony’s string quartet generated tons of excitement. The superintendent of Coos Bay Public Schools wants to know more about implementing arts programming into our schools, and the president of the local Oregon Coast Music Association is interested in participating in the project. My phone started ringing off the hook the next morning with messages of “We loved it—what’s next?”

I look forward to watching the support for our orchestra continue to grow statewide. It is truly—your Oregon Symphony.

Sincerely,

Michelle Sweet
Co-Chair, FOS Coos Co. Chapter
Oregon Symphony Board Member