CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland Orchestra isn’t the only entity at Severance Music Center receiving major gifts of late.
No, on Saturday, the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO) announced that it, too, is well supported by the community, noting a new $5 million gift from Geoffrey and Sarah Gund. The gift, which will come in the form of endowment funds, ensures that the high-level training ensemble continues to operate for generations to come.
“There is nothing more important than supporting students who are working hard and show potential for special achievement,” wrote Geoffrey Gund, the former board president of the Gund Foundation, in a statement announcing the gift.
“The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra combines our love of music and our admiration of professional musicians who teach the discipline required to achieve excellence. We are delighted to support the youth orchestra that gives so much to Cleveland and beyond.”
As Gund noted, COYO operates under the auspices of the Cleveland Orchestra. Members, most of whom are in upper middle or high school, join by audition and receive regular coaching from their professional equivalents, some of whom were in COYO at one time themselves.
This year, the group has 89 members from 41 communities across Northeast Ohio. Occasionally, the group also embarks on domestic or international tours.
Joan Katz Napoli, the orchestra’s vice president of education and community programs, wrote in a statement that COYO provides “an unparalleled educational experience” that teaches “collaboration, self-discipline, time management and perseverance – skills that are critical for success in school, work, and life.”
“We are grateful for [the] Gund’s generosity and commitment of support,” she wrote.
The new Geoffrey and Sarah Gund Endowment for the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra is similar to the main orchestra’s endowment in that it supports the youth group’s annual operating expenses. The rest of the group’s costs will continue to be covered by membership fees, ticket sales, and gifts to the orchestra’s Annual Fund.
COYO is just about to begin its 37th season, now under the direction of assistant conductor Daniel Reith. The group’s first concert of the year features works by Boulanger, Tchaikovsky, and Prokofiev and takes place at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20 at Severance Music Center. Tickets, $17-$27, are available at clevelandorchestra.com or 216-231-1111.