NASHVILLE SYMPHONY

INSPIRE. ENTERTAIN. EDUCATE. 3 OUR VISION FOR NASHVILLE SYMPHONY | SCHERMERHORN SYMPHONY CENTER THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY INSPIRES, ENTERTAINS AND EDUCATES THE FUTURE THROUGH EXCELLENCE IN MUSICAL PERFORMANCE. Dear Friends:

Our community is in the midst of a transformative period, and so is the Nashville Symphony. Building on our six-decade history of performing exciting and soul-stirring music, we continue to grow and innovate, and we 2018 Highlights, By the Numbers: remain devoted to making music accessible for everyone in our community.

Finding new and vibrant ways to connect with listeners of all ages, backgrounds and life experiences. Celebrating American music. Driving creative partnerships and projects. These are the strategic initiatives that propel us forward. 137 ticketed concerts at Schermerhorn Symphony Center

This work, accomplished daily by 83 world-class musicians, along with the Symphony’s administrative staff, volunteers and board, helps to cement our purpose as a community-focused organization. 4 ticketed concerts at Ascend Amphitheater This brochure shares some information about who we are and what we do – groundbreaking artistic projects, million in ticket sales internationally distributed recordings, impactful education programs and community engagement initiatives. $10.7 But equally important is why we do this work: tickets sold To create an that reflects the richness of the community we serve. 193,252

To share beauty and inspire joy. To create meaningful experiences for families, friends and neighbors. 27 83 To cultivate the next generation of artists, educators and leaders. FREE CONCERTS FULL-TIME MUSICIANS featuring the orchestra Because music matters. We are reimagining what it means to be an orchestra in the 21st century. Our donors and attendees inspire us 74,000 to pursue our vision and fulfill our mission. Music truly comes alive when there is an audience – you. 190 reached through free education PERFORMANCES and community engagement programs Thank you for taking the time to learn about the Nashville Symphony. We invite you to lean in and listen. 68,000 Sincerely, $8.2 million hours 22 2 of hands-on instruction, concerts and interactive performances IN DONATIONS provided to children and PERFORMANCES from the community GRAMMY® AWARDS adults across the region with Nashville Ballet & 4 GRAMMY® nominations Alan D. Valentine President and CEO 4 5

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY | SCHERMERHORN SYMPHONY CENTER

INVESTING IN OUR MUSICIANS THE ARTISTS WHO BRING THE MUSIC TO LIFE.

At the heart of our organization is the 83-member Nashville Symphony. Our musicians are among the finest orchestral players anywhere in the This full-time, resident ensemble performs more than 150 concerts world, and they devote countless hours and resources toward fulfilling the INVESTING IN OUR CULTURE, annually, including classical, pops, jazz, movies with live orchestra and more. Nashville Symphony’s mission. Our musicians play an essential role in the fabric of our community. In Gifts in support of our musicians are a direct investment in the heart and addition to their rigorous performance schedule, they teach at institutions soul of the Symphony, today and for years to come. OUR COMMUNITY & OUR FUTURE like and Belmont University, teach private lessons, volunteer time to lead community-based projects, and perform in THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY IS HERE FOR YOU. recording sessions and with local ensembles. ANNUAL INVESTMENT IN OUR MUSICIANS: $8,170,000 We are working to increase financial support for our musicians so that the Nashville Symphony continues to be a destination for the finest players, while also securing our ability to grow the size of our orchestra. The Nashville Symphony continues to innovate and respond to our award supports comprehensive diversity planning and recognizes our changing community. Recognizing that we must address our own continued innovation in artistic and educational programming. The institutional culture to effect meaningful transformation in our work, the Nashville Symphony will collaborate with the League and other Symphony is well into our second year of a multi-year diversity, equity across the U.S. to contribute to a growing body of best practices around and inclusion planning process. Through this process, we will actively seek diversity, equity and inclusion. input from a diverse array of community stakeholders, whose insight and CARMINA BURANA feedback will help to shape the Symphony’s future direction. Our work will set the stage for an even more vibrant, engaged and relevant BOUNDARY-PUSHING PROGRAMMING. Nashville Symphony. A CLASSIC REIMAGINED. In recognition of this vital work, the Nashville Symphony has received local and national grant awards from Metro Arts, Nashville’s Office of Arts and Our vision is to be a transformational force in our community Working in partnership with Nashville Ballet, the Nashville Symphony will Culture, and from the League of American Orchestras. and in the orchestra industry. reimagine Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana as a dynamic multimedia project. Featuring updated choreography, along with an original film directed The Symphony was one of 21 orchestras in the United States to receive by internationally renowned filmmaker Duncan Copp, the project will funding through the League of American Orchestras’ Futures Fund. The bring this bawdy medieval text vividly to life and make it relevant to contemporary audiences.

This production is epic in proportion – featuring full orchestra, adult chorus, children’s chorus, the full Ballet company, three soloists and large- scale visuals projected on multiple screens – and we are proud to offer the debut. INVESTMENT: $441,000 6 7

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY | SCHERMERHORN SYMPHONY CENTER

RECORDINGS AND COMMISSIONS FOSTERING THE NEXT KEEPING CLASSICAL MUSIC RELEVANT. GENERATION OF CREATING THE SOUND OF THE FUTURE. MUSICAL VISIONARIES.

The Nashville Symphony is one of the most active recording orchestras in the United Awards and 24 nominations. They celebrate the great orchestral tradition while pointing States, with a focus on commissioning, performing and recording new American music. the way toward a future in which classical music remains a powerful, relevant cultural Our commitment comes from our deep-rooted sense of belonging here in Music City, a force because it speaks to the concerns and experiences of contemporary listeners. Led by Nashville Symphony Music Director and current a “Business Essentials” briefing on copyrights, licenses, contracts and negotiations, community celebrated worldwide for its creativity and innovation. Workshop Director , Composer Lab & Workshop seeks to discover commissions, publishing and more. Each commission and recording project is undertaken with the hope and intention that the next generation of outstanding American composers by providing them with the Since 2000, the Symphony has released 30 recordings on Naxos, the world’s largest other orchestras will include these works in their own concert offerings. We believe opportunity to develop their talents, gain hands-on experience working with a major “Promoting new, forward-thinking American orchestral music is at the very core of independent classical label. Encompassing a wide range of repertoire, from John Adams that giving voice to this repertoire will help to develop the next generation of orchestral American orchestra, and showcase their work for a live audience. This program to the Nashville Symphony’s artistic mission, and this program is an important part of to Bernstein to , these recordings have earned a total of 13 GRAMMY® favorites. identify and celebrate emerging talent is among the most comprehensive of its kind our commitment,” Guerrero says. “The gifted young participants in Composer Lab anywhere in the United States. represent the vibrancy and diversity of our country today, and they are helping to Nashville Symphony’s current recording projects include: shape the sound of orchestral music in the 21st century.” During their visits to Nashville, Composer Lab fellows participate in a hands-on learning experience, with workshop sessions covering key aspects of composing, Learn more at NashvilleSymphony.org/ComposerLab. JOHN HARBISON – JOHN ADAMS – HARMONIELEHRE AARON JAY KERNIS – SYMPHONY NO. 4 | COLOR WHEEL MY FATHER KNEW performing and music industry practices. Activities include reading sessions with the This powerful choral work was inspired, in part, by the events Kernis is a Pulitzer Prize winner and a member of the American Nashville Symphony; individual mentoring sessions with Giancarlo Guerrero; meetings INVESTMENT: $47,100 of September 11, 2001, and serve as the composer’s attempt to Adams is one of the most important and influential composers Academy of Arts and Letters, as well as the Classical Music Hall with composers, classical music professionals and Nashville Symphony musicians; and explore themes of loss, transcendence and the inexorability of working today. Harmonielehre was recorded in October 2018, of Fame. This project began in 2016 with his virtuosic Color time. Released October 2018. and the disc’s final work will be captured during the 2019/20 Wheel and will conclude in February 2019 with his Symphony No. season. Release is set for 2021. 4, a co-commission with the New England Conservatory. JONATHAN LESHNOFF – SYMPHONY NO. 4 “HEICHALOS” CONCERTO FOR GUITAR | STARBURST CHRISTOPHER ROUSE — SYMPHONY NO. 5 | CONCERTO TOBIAS PICKER – OPERA WITHOUT WORDS | THE FOR ORCHESTRA ENCANTADAS Leshnoff composed his Symphony No. 4, “Heichalos” for the Nashville Symphony’s Violins of Hope initiative, which featured Rouse is one of America’s leading composers, having earned This project began in October 2017 with a co-commissioned more than 30 instruments that survived the Holocaust. This a Pulitzer Prize, a GRAMMY® Award and membership in the work, Opera Without Words. This imaginative piece uses piece, along with the others on this recording, is strongly American Academy of Arts and Letters. This project began in opera as an inspiration, taking lyrics written specifically for the informed by the composer’s Jewish spirituality and his quest October 2017 with his Symphony No. 5 and will conclude in composition, then removing the vocal parts and interpreting to explore the fundamental questions of human experience April 2019 with the recording of his Concerto for Orchestra and them through instrumental lines. The Encantadas, for narrator through music. Release is set for May 2019. Berceuse Infinie. and orchestra, will be recorded live in March 2019.

Learn more at Giancarlo Guerrero with 2017 Composer Lab Fellows James Díaz, Dr. Shen Yiwen, Emily Cooley and Liliya Ugay, plus Workshop Director Aaron Jay Kernis. ANNUAL INVESTMENT: $604,890 NashvilleSymphony.org/recordings. 8 9

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY | SCHERMERHORN SYMPHONY CENTER

ACCELERANDO Education and HELPING THE ORCHESTRAS OF TOMORROW REFLECT Community Programs THE RICHNESS OF THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE.

The Nashville Symphony is dedicated to serving thousands of children and families feed directly into our mission. Through music, we seek to enrich young people’s lives. Accelerando is an intensive education program designed to prepare gifted young from the 41-county Middle Tennessee region, both at Schermerhorn Symphony Center To connect people of all ages with listening and learning opportunities. To build future students of diverse ethnic backgrounds to pursue music at the collegiate level and and in local schools and community gathering spaces across the region. These programs audiences. To inspire joy. beyond. In the 2018/19 season, 16 students are currently participating in the program. Students receive mentorship and private lessons from Nashville Symphony musicians, community performance and masterclass opportunities, tickets to Classical Series Young People’s Concerts are live orchestra performances at Schermerhorn The Nashville Symphony’s Community Concerts series brings the orchestra’s music concerts, music theory and history coursework via Blair School of Music’s Pre-College Symphony Center, with age-appropriate programming and accompanying curriculum to neighborhoods across the region during the summer months, reaching 10,000+ Program at Vanderbilt University, and opportunities to attend intensive summer and lesson plans for teachers, which tie to statewide learning outcomes. community members via free concerts. performance workshops – all offered at no cost.

Ensembles in the Schools serve local schools with multiple visits from Nashville The annual Free Day of Music features 20 musical groups throughout the Now in its third year, Accelerando has been recognized nationally by educators, Symphony ensembles, along with lesson plans and other resources to enrich Schermerhorn, offering an all-day festival of concert programming free of charge. industry leaders, funders and the media. This program is a key component of the classroom learning. This year’s partners include Dan Mills Elementary, J.E. Moss Nashville Symphony’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by actively Elementary and Tennessee School for the Blind. Soundcheck offers $10 tickets to Classical Series concerts for students from working to ensure that the orchestras of tomorrow reflect the richness of the kindergarten through graduate school, providing an affordable option for young communities they serve. Open Dress Rehearsals offer a look at what goes on behind the scenes at our people to experience the Symphony. Classical Series concerts before the first public performance. Family Series concerts, in addition to an entertaining musical experience, offer Before Accelerando, aspiring to be a professional musician was a mere fantasy – I knew I wanted to go into music, but I Masterclasses, Sectionals and Lessons provide resources, instruction and integrated support for children with sensory sensitivities, including flexible and had absolutely no idea where to start or how I could ever achieve that goal. performance coaching for individual musicians and small groups of students accessible seating, closed captioning, quiet spaces, trained staff and additional around Middle Tennessee. resources. Accelerando has provided me with opportunities I never could have imagined…. As I begin my final year in the program, I Instrument Petting Zoos give children hands-on opportunities to try out a variety of Free Chamber Music Series concerts feature small groups of Symphony musicians am ever so thankful to my teacher and all of the Accelerando team for preparing me for upcoming college auditions and instruments. performing in an intimate setting at the Schermerhorn, with interactive, educational the rest of my musical career.” components in which musicians share knowledge and insights. –Aalia Hanif, Accelerando Student Is It a Fiddle or a Violin?, offered in collaboration with the Country Music Hall of Fame, invites students to explore the commonalities and the differences between Learn more at NashvilleSymphony.org/Education. country and classical music.

THE ANNUAL INVESTMENT: $745,000 ANDREW W. ANNUAL INVESTMENT: $257,460 Learn more at NashvilleSymphony.org/Accelerando. Supported by a grant from MELLON FOUNDATION 10 11

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY | SCHERMERHORN SYMPHONY CENTER

ANNUAL FUND

DONOR BENEFITS GET INVOLVED AT A GLANCE YOU CAN PLAY A PART IN SHARING THE JOY PLAYER SECTION $149) UP TO (GIFTS CHAIR FIRST ($150-$499) CONCERTMASTER SOCIETY ($500-$1,499) CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE ($1,000-$2,999) GOLDEN BATON SOCIETY ($3,000-$4,999) STRADIVARIUS SOCIETY ($5,000-$9,999) OF MUSIC WITH OUR COMMUNITY. VIP tour of Schermerhorn Symphony Center Invitation to attend Nashville Symphony dress rehearsals Invitation to Patron Appreciation Concert MAKE A GIFT GOVERNING MEMBERS: A PATHWAY FOR DEEPER ENGAGEMENT It’s easy and rewarding to support your Nashville Symphony! Gifts from the Governing Members are a group of highly engaged patrons who have a desire to Acknowledgment on NashvilleSymphony.org community fuel our mission to inspire, educate and entertain listeners of all ages and influence the future of the Nashville Symphony. This program seeks members backgrounds. The Nashville Symphony is a 501(c)(3) organization, Tax ID: 62-0550979, who will offer support, advocacy, enthusiasm and expertise, and who will share Invitation to attend a Nashville Symphony education program and gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law. their passion for artistic innovation and excellence in music education. Governing Acknowledgment in InConcert program guide Members care about the well-being of the organization and are willing to invest their Ways to Give: resources, time and talents to help the Nashville Symphony reach its goals. Pre-sale access to newly added concerts 1. Via Mail: One Symphony Place, Nashville, TN 37201-2031 2. Via Phone: 615.687.6494 Eligibility requirements are a $3,000 annual gift and a ticket purchase of at least four Invitation to Nashville Symphony Annual Meeting 3. Online: NashvilleSymphony.org/give performances annually. Benefits offered to Governing Members include access to the Allen Walter Watson, Sr. Founders Hall donor lounge; unique, behind-the-scenes SELECT Access to Allen Walter Watson Sr. Founders Hall donor lounge ACCESS VIP VIP BECOME A VOLUNTEER experiences with Nashville Symphony musicians and staff; leadership and service work; special invitations to exclusive Symphony events; and recognition through print Invitation to Musicians Recognition Dinner The Nashville Symphony offers a variety of opportunities to engage volunteers and building signage. from Nashville and surrounding communities, who assist with concerts, auditions, Invitation to Stradivarius Society Dinner fundraising, educational outreach and more. Volunteers can customize their CRESCENDO CLUB schedules to fit their lifestyles and determine their level of commitment. Learn more at NashvilleSymphony.org/volunteer The Crescendo Club is a dynamic group of Nashville-area young professionals, ages 21-40, who share a love of music and a desire to support the Nashville Symphony’s Customized donor benefit packages available for gifts of $10,000+, including VIP Valet parking, Partner with a Player program access, and more. artistic and educational mission. Benefits include networking opportunities, Please call 615.687.6494 for more information! LEAVE A LEGACY | BUILD A FUTURE performance experiences and behind-the-scenes access to the Nashville Symphony. Did you know that more than 100 families have chosen to include the Nashville Symphony in their estate plans? It’s easy to include the orchestra as a beneficiary, and advising us of your intentions helps us to plan for the future. Be “instrumental” in our Interested in learning more? success by sharing your passion for music with future generations. Contact us at 615.687.6494 or [email protected] The Power of Corporate Partnerships

The Schermerhorn attracts a highly sought-after audience that includes Nashville’s key decision-makers, influencers and a growing breadth of the population of Nashville.Ask how our strategic partnerships will engage your brand and help to move your business forward.

CUSTOMIZED MARKETING PROGRAMS Align your brand or business to reach Nashville’s key decision makers and reach more than 200,000 people at 150+ concerts and events.

VIP HOSPITALITY AND SIGNATURE EVENTS Your clients and employees can enjoy exclusive pre-concert access in our distinguished Allen Walter Watson Sr. Founders Hall lounge and exposure at the Symphony Ball and Fashion Show.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH Align your brand with Nashville Symphony programs supporting quality music education and family-friendly programs, impacting over 74,000 people in the Middle Tennessee region.

PRODUCT SAMPLING & OUT-OF-HOME Display options available at the Schermerhorn campus and Community Concerts locations around the mid-state area.

CORPORATE MEETINGS/EVENTS & GROUP ENTERTAINMENT Options include exquisite private indoor and outdoor meeting/event space and special group concert ticket programs.

EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP TODAY Contact [email protected]

MAJOR CORPORATE PARTNERS