HE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA HESTR
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OrchestraNews
$5 million gift from Alexander and Sarah Cutler announced, to subsidize student attendance for Orchestra concerts at Severance Hall
P H OTO G R A P H BY R O G E R M A S T R O I A N N I
Alexander and Sarah Cutler at Severance Hall for the pre-concert announcement of their gift. audiences is a critical element in that evolution. The opportunity to attend the performances of a truly world-class orchestra right here in our own community has meant a great deal to us and we are hopeful that our gift will enhance the opportunity of students to have this same experience.” 8,000 students attended concerts last year at Severance Hall, making up an average of 8% of the current audience. With full subsidy, student attendance should increase to 15% by the Orchestra’s centennial in 2018. Among programs serving student audiences are: an annual student weekend that launched this weekend with deeply discounted tickets available in advance, and a new Student Ambassadors program that engages college students to invite their friends and peers. The current Student Advantage Program attendance will be increased through enhanced partnerships with colleges and universities.
THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA
O R C H E S T R A
CENTER FOR FUTURE AUDIENCES Endowed by the Maltz Family Foundation
Severance Hall 2011-12
Cleveland Orchestra News
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THE CLEVELAND OR-
T H E C L E V E L A N D
THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA
On Saturday night, November 12, Cleveland Orchestra Executive Director Gary Hanson announced a pledge to The Cleveland Orchestra’s Endowment Fund of $5 million from Alexander and Sarah Cutler. The Alexander and Sarah Cutler Fund for Student Audiences will support existing and new programs that encourage and facilitate student attendance in perpetuity to Cleveland Orchestra concerts in Severance Hall. The Cutlers’ gift is another step toward fully funding the Orchestra’s Center for Future Audiences at $60 million, increasing the current total to $25 million. The Center, endowed by the Maltz Family Foundation, is a multi-faceted and long-term audience development initiative announced in 2010 with a lead gift from the Foundation. The Center aims to increase audiences, including more young people, each season. The Center is taking the Orchestra in a new strategic direction where the primary goal is to create broader access for the Northeast Ohio community. In announcing the gift, Hanson said, “We are grateful to Sandy and Sally for their extraordinary philanthropy and their belief in the future of The Cleveland Orchestra. This generous gift is an endorsement of our mission to transform the institution and our audience. We are committed to becoming an even more relevant and responsive community resource for Northeast Ohio.” Alexander Cutler has been an Orchestra Trustee since 2000. “Sally and I are honored to help the Orchestra evolve,” he said. “Outreach to younger