| BUFFALO, NY – Friday’s Donor and Subscriber Appreciation Concert continues a longstanding tradition, but with several twists.
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined onstage by participants in the 2016 Doctors of the World and Fantasy Camp, who are highly-trained amateur musicians living out their dream of playing with a professional orchestra. Forty-eight participants from Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom and 15 states spent the week in Buffalo. Many of the participants were part of the BPO Doctors of the World program in 2014. Over the course of the week, they rehearsed with the orchestra, received coaching from BPO Music Director JoAnn Falletta and from BPO musicians, practiced and performed chamber music, and explored the Buffalo-Niagara region. The concert will also celebrate the BPO’s ongoing leadership and connections with the local and international community. It marks a continuing collaboration between the BPO and Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo (the future John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital), helping to bring culture, peace and healing to the children and families in the hospital’s care through the art of music. This partnership began two years ago when the BPO raised $15,000 at the Doctors of the World concert to benefit the creation of the Oishei Children’s Hospital Healing Arts Program. Additionally, the BPO Kids for Exceptional Kids program was born out of this collaboration. This program takes place at all BPO Kids concerts and offers modified activities, noise-cancelling headphones, and other accommodations for children with chronic conditions. As one mother shared, “My daughter loves music and it’s a treat for her to watch live music being performed. If she is at all agitated, as soon as the music starts, she calms right down.” The program has benefitted a countless number of children. “It is heart-warming to see the power of music and its ability to touch so many young people. This would not be possible without our partnership with the hospital,” said Falletta. The BPO expects more than 2,100 patrons for this one-of-a-kind concert at Kleinhans Music Hall. The audience will be comprised of the orchestra’s donors, subscribers and staff from the Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, all of whom were also asked to donate toys for patients at the hospital. Hospital officials were on hand to thank the audience and celebrate the partnership between the two organizations. “We are so grateful to JoAnn Falletta for her leadership in bringing this community collaboration to life and establishing a relationship that will bring joy and healing to our patients for years to come,” said Allegra C. Jaros, MBA, President, Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. “The BPO has been an amazing partner and has gone above and beyond to raise awareness of the importance of our Children’s Hospital to this community.” Mayor Byron W. Brown will also be at the concert as the BPO and its Diversity Council formally sign his Opportunity Pledge, making a commitment to diversity. BPO Executive Director Daniel Hart said, “This evening highlights the important role that the BPO plays in the community through partnership and collaboration. We are honored to celebrate this special night with Mayor Brown, our donors and subscribers and our representatives from Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.” |
| As Buffalo’s cultural ambassador, the Grammy Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under the leadership of music director JoAnn Falletta presents more than 100 concerts each year. Since 1940, the orchestra’s home has been Kleinhans Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark with a reputation as one of the finest concert halls in the United States. During the tenure of JoAnn Falletta, the BPO has rekindled its history of radio broadcasts and recordings, including the release of 37 new recordings on the Naxos and Beau Fleuve labels. For more information about the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, visit www.bpo.org.
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