Kansas City Symphony raises $55 million

Kansas City Symphony raises $55 million

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norman lebrecht

October 12, 2017

The Kansas City Symphony has quietly raised $55 million over five years  to complete its endowment.

More than 1,000 donors pledged gifts ranging from $10 to $10 million.

Details here.

Comments

  • John Richmond says:

    This is good news. The demise of the Kansas City Philharmonic, so many years ago, was very sad. I grew up (in Topeka, KS) with their Sunday afternoon television concerts. The birth of the KCS was perhaps more than a small miracle, some short years later, and news of this latest development is terrific. Kudos to all!

  • Brian Hughes says:

    With their fantastic arts complex and now this, KC is an example of a performing arts organization doing everything right. Bravo!

  • Cameron says:

    Love my hometown! A hidden gem in the middle of the country!

  • chris in new york says:

    Fine orchestra and a lovely, inviting, comfortable mid-sized hall. I wish New York had a space like Kansas City’s.

  • Analeck Kram-Hammerbauer says:

    Viel Geld für wenig Musik.

    • Robert Fitzpatrick says:

      Wer ist gestorben und hat dich als Boss verlassen? (Google translation of “Who died and left you as boss?)

      Let’s applaud this significant accomplishment by KCS in support of great music making.

      • Analeck Kram-Hammerbauer says:

        Dem Vortrefflichen gegenüber gibt es keine Freiheit als die Liebe. Or “there is no liberty to the excellency except love”, if you prefer Google. And that’s exactly how American orchestras play Bruckner and Brahms. Nothing but a joke.

        • Hulge says:

          How does Brahms and Bruckner should be played?

        • Analeck Kram-Hammerbauer says:

          “I don’t know how to tell you to do it, but DO IT!” — Leonard Bernstein
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebf6_7nHciw

          In case you still don’t check it, let’s say your toilet is broken and you ask a plumber to fix it. Are you rubbish or elitist in the eyes of your plumber if you know nothing about plumbing?

          It’s funny that some musicians think people from other backgrounds are not entitled to judge their performances. When you dine in a restaurant, do you have to be a professional cook in order to have the right to dislike the food?

          Just shut up and play your music. The customer is god.

          • Hulge says:

            Yes but I never criticised the plumber. Your statement is truly uninformed and narrow minded. Those who can decode a score for sure are in a better position to judge objectively a performance or how a style should sound like. If there would be a connection between Bruckner and Brahms your comment may have still passed but condemning a whole country for not knowing how to play those composers is like think that every middle East person s a potential terrorist. Just as an advice, watch out what you say cause that kind of criticism says more about you than the subject in discussion.

          • Analeck Kram-Hammerbauer says:

            You SHOULD criticize the plumber if he did a lousy job. You are fully entitled to do that even if you are not a plumbing specialist. And you won’t just accept whatever he charges you just because he tells you that his work is the most sophisticated one in the world, right? You don’t know HOW, but at least you can tell whether his work is good or not and what its market price would be. Here is another example: you know nothing about semiconductor physics nor the instruction sets of ARM processors, but you can tell that iPhone 7 is better than iPhone 4, right? And you never doubt you are entitled to judge.

            Apropos, I’m not the only person who thinks American orchestras can’t play Bruckner.
            “Bruckner was never played in Italy, France and Spain etc., even under Celibidache.” — Sergiu Celibidache
            https://youtu.be/I1lIqRwFH2w?t=15m8s
            Starting at 15:08, in case the auto jump doesn’t work.

            Talking about generalisation and stereotypes, shouldn’t you first talk to your dear MAGA president? Didn’t he say something like Mexicans are criminals and rapists?

    • Pianofortissimo says:

      Note that that money comes from private donors, not from taxes as in most of our good Old World.

      • Analeck Kram-Hammerbauer says:

        Well, as if pecunia non olet when it is the private sector. But it is simply not true.
        Furthermore, these private sponsors “donate” their money to get tax deduction. So what’s the difference? Except that the American spend ten times the budget of a first class orchestra in Europe to run a 3rd class ensemble?

        • Erhard Weber says:

          You should read the full story in the link.
          $55 Mio is to increase the endowment (Stiftungsvermögen).
          The yearly operating cost (Betriebskosten) is $17 Mio which is quite comparable to a European orchestra of similar size.
          KC symphony offers a great bunch of different concerts and is far better than a 3rd class orchestra.

          • Analeck Kram-Hammerbauer says:

            Do you always read all the Kleindruck in your Handy contract and still think Telekom is doing sincere business even if you are imposed mysterious surcharge?
            Think about who is to blame before starting to criticize.

  • Alexander Platt says:

    I think my next vacation needs to be in Kansas City! What a great achievement

  • Ben says:

    That says a lot about Allison Vulgamore’s (utter lack of) leadership (and results) when fundraising in Philadelphia!

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