Kansas City Symphony 2015 Annual Fund Report

Sound that embraces you, music that inspires you

YOUR MUSIC. YOUR SYMPHONY. YOUR COMMUNITY. Committed to you.

Kansas City Symphony

INDISPENSABLE. The nation is taking notice of Kansas City as a creative and culturally rich community, and the Kansas City Symphony is proud to be a driving force in our city’s cultural renaissance. We are setting the standard for how an orchestra can thrive and be connected to its community. As we raise the Symphony’s artistic stature, we raise our city’s national profile.

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“Our priorities are clear: exceptional artistry; a financial foundation that is built to last; and a culture within the organization that is positive, forward-looking and transparent.”

— BILL LYONS,

WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Board Chair

»» REACH. The Symphony touches the lives of more than 1 million people annually through concerts, media broadcasts, and performances with the Kansas City Ballet and Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Our audience has become increasingly global, with patrons from 10 foreign countries and all 50 states have attended Symphony performances. »» EDUCATION. The Symphony’s education programs engage more than 54,000 children and adults annually, Providing musical experiences for future generations. »» FREE MUSIC. The Symphony presents more than 100 free programs throughout our city each season, including outdoor concerts on Labor Day and Memorial Day weekend, and free chamber music concerts in Helzberg Hall.

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Kansas City Symphony

ARTISTICALLY EXCELLENT. Music Director Michael Stern leads the Symphony with unparalleled passion and insight. Symphony performances are filled with energy and excitement, and achieve extraordinary artistic experiences for ever-growing audiences.

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WE CONTINUE TO RAISE THE BAR. » » OUR VISION. We are committed to transforming hearts, minds and communities through the power of symphonic music. » » SUPERB MUSICIANS. The Symphony’s 80 full-time orchestra members bring an unmatched level of expertise to our city and immeasurably enrich the cultural life of our region as musicians, teachers and members of our communities. » » QUALITY. From revered masterworks to world premieres, Michael Stern and the Symphony surmount every artistic challenge with uncompromising excellence. Critically acclaimed recordings on the Grammy ® -winning Reference Recordings label bring the Symphony’s magnificent sound to audiences worldwide.

“Art changes us. It deepens our world experiences and profoundly connects us to our senses and our emotions. Music can accomplish this more fully than any other art form. That conviction is at the heart of everything we work for at the Kansas City Symphony.”

— MICHAEL STERN, music director

Kansas City Symphony concerts inspire and enthrall more than one million people every year.

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Kansas City Symphony

COMMUNITY CONNECTED. The Kansas City Symphony strives to become the most community-focused orchestra in the nation, making our music available to audiences across greater Kansas City.

“Whether we are in our magnificent Helzberg Hall, in an area school, or at Kauffman Stadium, people feel the commitment and energy that our wonderful musicians invest in each performance.�

FRANK BYRNE, Executive Director

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“The Kansas City Symphony is leading the charge to bring the arts back as the centerpiece of our communities.”

— JOYCE DIDONATO

WE SERVE THROUGH MUSIC. »» ENGAGED. The Symphony’s Community Connections program brings the joy, knowledge and healing power of music to our neighborhoods through inspiring free programs in a variety of locations, including schools, community centers and health care facilities. »» DIVERSE. The Symphony offers something for everyone — from classics and film scores to pops and Broadway. We provide opportunities for new audiences to experience the joy of orchestral music in a fun and informal atmosphere through our popular Classics Uncorked and free Happy Hour chamber music concert series. »» COLLABORATIVE. The Symphony partners with valued community organizations such as the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the Kansas City Zoo and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

The Kansas City Symphony is at the heart of our community’s musical life.

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Kansas City Symphony

EDUCATION CENTERED. Music teaches self-worth and pride while inciting creativity and imagination. The Symphony enables people of all ages to learn, create and become inspired through music.

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“The Symphony’s contributions to music education and awareness among thousands of area school children are essential in the shaping of young minds, future musicians and civic leaders.”

— STEVE PAUL, The Kansas City Star

WE INVEST IN THE FUTURE. »» DEVOTED. The Symphony helps fill the gaps in our schools’ music education programs by working with school orchestras, providing master classes with Symphony musicians and guest artists, raising funds for school district music programs, and creating special opportunities for students to experience the Kansas City Symphony. Charging only $2 per ticket, the Symphony provides our schools with the most economical education performances in town. »» INSPIRED. Imaginative and engaging education programs are the only opportunity many students have to experience live orchestral music. Presented in Helzberg Hall, these education concerts pair the fundamentals of music with core curricula taught in classrooms. » » LEADING THE WAY. The Symphony is a leader and advocate of music education for all ages, backgrounds and musical expertise. In addition to our exceptional student programs, the Symphony offers adults the opportunity to connect with music through teacher workshops, pre-concert discussions and Inside Music Series events and master classes.

The Kansas City Symphony changes lives through music.

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Kansas City Symphony

AN ECONOMIC ENGINE. As the largest user of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts with more than 110 concerts per season, the Symphony is the center’s musical engine delivering outstanding performances, generating strong ticket sales and bringing nearly 180,000 people to downtown Kansas City each year.

The Symphony also presents a number of free community events each season, including Pops in the Park at Shawnee Mission Park each Labor Day and Bank of America Celebration at the Station, which draws 50,000 people downtown each Memorial Day weekend to celebrate and remember our veterans.

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WE GENERATE DOLLARS. »» DYNAMIC. The Kansas City Symphony improves the cultural fabric of the region, attracting employers, new residents and tourists alike to Kansas City. » » ECONOMIC IMPACT. The Symphony has a $19.5 million annual impact on the economy, supports the equivalent of 443 full-time jobs and generates $1.7 million annually in state and local tax revenue.

The Kansas City Symphony improves the quality of life in our community.

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Kansas City Symphony

COMMITTED TO YOU. When you give to the Kansas City Symphony, you become even closer to great music and the musicians who make it happen.

As a Symphony donor, you receive wonderful benefits that only Kansas City Symphony supporters enjoy. Depending on your level of giving, you are invited to rehearsals, receptions and special concerts just for contributors.

You also receive increasingly exclusive access to the magnificent musicians of the Kansas City Symphony.

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WE BELIEVE IN RELATIONSHIPS. Members of our signature donor group, the Symphony Society, build relationships with Symphony musicians, conductors, staff and guest artists through exclusive events, intimate special performances and post-concert dinners with guest artists.

“Frank Byrne’s welcoming handshake in the Sprint Reception Suite always makes me feel like an old friend … and socializing over a glass of wine … is a relaxing way to catch up with friends and neighbors.”

— SARAH HANCOCK

We invite you to become closer to the music and to the people who make it happen.

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Kansas City Symphony

YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS. The Symphony has developed a well-earned reputation for financial stability and sound management, balancing its annual budget in almost every year since inception and devoting approximately 75 percent of that budget directly to concerts and programs. Your gift will support an artistically excellent and exceptionally well managed organization, enabling us to strengthen our impact on our community.

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WE RELY ON DONORS LIKE YOU. »» ESSENTIAL. Even with sold-out concerts, the Symphony must raise over $7 million every year. Ticket sales and earned revenue only cover about 40 percent of the cost of the orchestra, leaving support from contributions to account for the remaining 60 percent of our annual budget.

We give to the Kansas City Symphony because it is a vital part of the fabric of our community and we want the Symphony to be shared with as many people as possible.”

—SALLY and LYMAN OTT Symphony Society members at left with Michael Stern.

» » SUPPORT. To keep ticket prices low and to provide the best possible experiences for our audience, we rely on the support of our generous donors. We invite you to become a part of the Kansas City Symphony’s donor family and help us reach more than 1 million people a year through extraordinary concerts, educational programs, broadcasts and recordings.

Please support your Kansas City Symphony.

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Kansas City Symphony

FOUNDED BY R. CROSBY KEMPER, JR. IN 1982 BOARD OF DIRECTORS ESTABLISHED IN 1983 RUSSELL PATTERSON CONDUCTOR EMERITUS † OFFICERS

PAST BOARD PRESIDENTS

William M. Lyons Chair

1983-85 Paul H. Henson †

Michael D. Fields Vice Chair

1985-87 R. Crosby Kemper, Jr. †

Robert A. Kipp Vice Chair

1987-88 Paul H. Henson †

Joshua Sosland Vice Chair

1988-89 George E. Powell, Jr. †

Ann Kaufmann Baum Vice Chair

1989-95 David W. Hunerberg

William B. Taylor Vice Chair & Secretary-Treasurer

1995-2013 Shirley Bush Helzberg

DIRECTORS

FOUNDING DIRECTORS

Terry Bassham

Henry W. Bloch

Tom Bowser

William N. Deramus III †

Vince Clark

George C. Dillon †

Cary D. DeCamp

James H. Hale †

Kelli Glynn

Donald J. Hall

Michael Gordon

Paul H. Henson †

Christine Grossman

R. Crosby Kemper, Jr. †

Evan Halloin

George E. Powell, Jr. †

Irvine O. Hockaday, Jr.

George A. Russell

Lamar Hunt, Jr.

Richard H. Spencer †

Richard W. Miller

Richard J. Stern †

Joshua C. Rowland Marny Sherman

FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

David Sullivan

Christine Kemper President

Kent W. Sunderland

Julia Irene Kauffman Vice President

Linda Gill Taylor

Russell W. Baker, Jr. Secretary

Ursula Terrasi

George E. Powell III Treasurer

Marylou Turner

Stephen H. Hill Michael A. Schultz

EX-OFFICIO

Marylou Turner Auxiliary Representative

Shirley Bush Helzberg Chair Emerita Frank Byrne Executive Director Michael Stern Music Director

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†In memorium

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RETURN TO: The Kansas City Symphony 1703 Wyandotte Street • Suite 200 • Kansas City, MO 64108 For more information, call (816) 218-2646.

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Kansas City Symphony

THANK YOU. “Our audience and supporters motivate us to be our very best selves, and as we work to do justice to this great music we play, you remain our true inspiration. — MICHAEL STERN, music director

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Llewellyn Crain, Director of Development 816-218-2646, lcrain@kcsymphony.org

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1703 Wyandotte, Suite 200 Kansas City, MO 64108

kcsymphony.org

For more information, please contact: Llewellyn Crain, Director of Development 816-218-2646, lcrain@kcsymphony.org