UPCOMING VCM CONCERTS: VCM Opera Studio: Bastien und Bastienne - Mozart Signor Deluso - Pasatieri
Play it Forward! The VCM owns over 100 pianos which, on average, are about 50 years old. The time has come to begin replacing these instruments with new pianos that fully support the excellence in teaching and performing for which the VCM is known.
December 9 & 10 2011 7:30pm - Metro Studio Adults $20, Seniors/Students $10, VCM Students/Faculty $5 VCM Masters Series: Mozart, Before & After Wednesday, February 8 2012 7:30pm - Alix Goolden Hall Adults $15, Seniors/Students $10, VCM Students/Faculty $5
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• Buy a key on our “Keys to Success” board for $100 • Make a larger donation, or tell us of businesses and individuals who may be interested in making a major financial contribution
See our front desk to donate now! Questions? Comments?
Donate today! The Victoria Conservatory of Music gratefully accepts and acknowledges all donations and provides charitable tax receipts for gifts of $20 and above. For more information about supporting the VCM, please contact the Development Office:
Phone: 250.386.5311 ext. 2371 Email: henderson@vcm.bc.ca The Victoria Conservatory of Music is a registered Canadian charity. Charitable Registration Number: 10817 2255 RR0001
Contact: Dr. Jamie Syer syer@vcm.bc.ca 250.386.5311 ext. 3290
A newsletter for Donors and Friends of the Victoria Conservatory of Music
Sharing Great News!
Please help us give our students the best musical experience possible! • Use a Piano Project voucher to make a donation of $10, $15, $20 or $50
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You may recall that the VCM began its transformational journey three years ago with a staggering debt load of $2.2 million – an accumulated deficit of $1.2 million and a mortgage of $1 million. Now at the end of our 2010/2011 fiscal year, we are thrilled to report that we have been able to pay down our mortgage to $550,000, establish a working capital fund of $115,000 and we have completely eliminated our accumulated deficit of $1.2 million!! This could never have happened without the incredible generosity of all of our donors, whose support has been fundamental to our transformation. It is also a testament to the hard work and dedication of our exceptional management team and committed staff who have worked so hard to reduce expenses and increase earned revenue. There are no words to truly express how grateful we are to every single one of you who have contributed to this great achievement!
In addition, we have been able to achieve several other goals and milestones including: • The successful implementation of all new IT systems throughout the VCM: new servers, WiFi, telephone systems and new registration, donor and bookings and events software • Building upgrades which include the painting of our common spaces, improved stage lighting in Wood Hall, and sound and lighting upgrades in the Alix Goolden Hall. • A 26% increase in our Professional School registrations • Creation of our new VCM Presents: Conservatory Concert Series • The hiring of two new Department Heads: Mr. Walter Prossnitz (Keyboard) and Mr. Paul Beauchesne (Winds, Brass and Percussion) • The launch of our new planned giving program, the Encore Legacy Society I know you will all agree that we have made enormous strides and have accomplished many great things - however there is still a lot of hard work and opportunity for growth ahead of us! We have a mortgage to be eliminated and need to continue raising operating funds to not only reach our artistic potential, but to also secure a sustainable future for this great organization. Jane Butler McGregor, CEO
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250.386.5311 • 900 Johnson Street, Victoria, BC V8V 3N4 • www.vcm.bc.ca
Enriching Lives through Music!
Volume 4 Fall/Winter 2011
Inside.... VCM Presents: Conservatory Concert Series Page 2 Crescendo Circle Celebration Page 2 A Season of Extraordinary Events! Page 3 Upcoming VCM Concerts Page 4
CRESCENDO CIRCLE CELEBRATION
VCM Presents: Conservatory Concert Series is off to a great start! The Cecilia String Quartet dazzled the audience on October 16, while New Music Giants on November 20th featured fantastic contemporary composers. Join us for the next four performances in the Series, as they are sure to be just as spectacular!
JANUARY JAZZ January 25, 2012 7:30pm Send the winter blues packing with the esteemed Brad Turner - trumpeter, pianist, drummer and composer - together with jazz maven Gordon Clements and other talented VCM musicians.
ROBERT HOLLISTON & JAMIE SYER February 18, 2012 7:30pm A memorable performance of “Dualling” pianos with these two VCM colleagues playing together for the first time, in collaboration with percussionists Jonathan Eng & Masako Hockey.
On Sunday, November 6th, we welcomed our valued Crescendo Circle members to the 4th annual Crescendo Circle Celebration in Alix Goolden Performance Hall. 120 members and guests gathered to share good wine and food, wonderful music, and to hear the great news of the VCM’s significant accomplishments this past year. Our talented students and faculty performed magnificently and there was no one present who was not moved by the power and passion that each student brought to the stage. Many thanks to our fabulous performers: Lucy Gao, Christina Chwyl, Aline Dumalski, Eve Richardson, Rebecca Claborn, Matthew Johnson, Nathan MacDonald, Sky Mundell, Andrew Bishop, Julius Clegg, Jake Jenne and Alias Powell, and faculty members Robert Holliston, Csinszka Redai and George McFetridge. Everyone at the VCM is so proud to be given the opportunity to nurture and develop the creativity, skill and talent residing in every student and there is nothing that gives us greater joy than sharing those moments with our supporters who make it all possible. We are so very grateful to all of our Crescendo Circle members for their generous support – they are giving us the privilege and honour to exist to be able to inspire and educate musicians of all levels and abilities ensuring that the power of music lives on! Our Crescendo Circle is a group of dedicated music lovers who support the VCM with an annual donation starting at $500. Members are invited to numerous events and are acknowledged in every concert program, our Community Calendar, and will be recognized on our upcoming donor appreciation wall.
ENCORE LEGACY SOCIETY We are proud to introduce the Encore Legacy Society, a new Planned Giving program created to honour and recognize individuals who make a planned gift to the VCM.
VCM FACULTY SPOTLIGHT April 28, 2012 7:30pm
Planned gifts help ensure the future of the VCM, and are arranged to reflect the donor’s interests and passion. Gifts can be designated to target the VCM’s greatest needs and priorities, or they can be designated to support specific programs, capital needs, or scholarships and bursaries.
Featuring the Aurora Trio, plus Nicholas Fairbank (organ), Mary Jill McCulloch (flute) and Kathryn Whitney (mezzo-soprano). A stellar mix of VCM faculty with music to celebrate spring.
SARA DAVIS BUECHNER, PIANO May 26, 2012 7:30pm A frequent performer with the Victoria Symphony, this is Buechner’s first Victoria solo performance since 2003. This promises to be an entertaining program with music by Haydn, Turina and Gershwin.
A planned gift becomes part of your overall financial and estate planning and helps you achieve your philanthropic objectives, as well as provide you with significant tax benefits and advantages. There are a number of options to consider with Planned Giving, and the Development office will be happy to speak with you about these options. Member of the Encore Legacy Society will be invited to special society celebrations and their names will be listed in our concert programmes with the letter “E ”
Tickets: Adults $25, Students/Seniors $15 VCM Students FREE
Many thanks to our generous sponsors who have made VCM Presents possible: SEASON SPONSORS:
CONCERT SPONSORS:
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FREE PARKING AT McCALL’S We are thrilled to announce a new partnership with McCall Bros. Funeral and Reception Centre. McCall’s have most generously offered to provide the use of their parking lot to our faculty, staff, students, parents and concert attendees. The lot, located at the corner of Johnson and Vancouver, is available after 5:00pm on weekdays, and all day on Saturday and Sunday (unless McCall’s is using it for their own purposes).
Enriching Lives through Music!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR:
A SEASON OF EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS! Gary Karr, Harmon Lewis, and Friends Sunday, February 26th 2012 - 2:30pm - Alix Goolden Performance Hall Renowned artists Gary Karr, bass, and Harmon Lewis, organ and piano, join forces with VCM students to present a concert to benefit the Conservatory. The Karr-Lewis Duo has built a schedule of appearances that has included festivals all over North America, Great Britain, continental Europe, Russia, Israel, Australia and Asia; this is a concert not to be missed! Tickets: Adults $25, Seniors/Students $20
Eric Charman’s 80 Birthday Celebration th
Sunday, March 4th 2012 - 5:00pm The Victoria Conservatory of Music, Pacific Opera Victoria and the Victoria Symphony are collaborating to create a Gala event to honour Mr. Eric Charman, the ultimate arts advocate, on his 80th birthday. This special event will feature a concert with artists from all three organizations, a unique “chair-ity” auction, and a sumptuous reception and grazing dinner to be held at the McPherson Playhouse. All proceeds from this event will benefit the three hosting organizations.
Uncork Your Palate V Thursday, April 26th 2012 - 6:00pm When fine wine is teamed with inspired food, the combination is unbeatable! Uncork Your Palate returns as an indulgent fundraising event for the VCM, in partnership with Naramata Bench Wineries Association and Victoria’s finest restaurants. Participating restaurants and caterers will serve a sampling of hors d’ouevres and appetizers representative of their cuisine, paired with distinctively fine wine from the portfolios of the 19 Naramata Bench Wineries. Conservatory musicians will complement the evening with the perfect musical backdrop.
This year, give the
Gift of Music! A great way to share the gift of music with friends and loved ones, VCM Gift Certificates are the perfect stocking stuffers. Available at our main administration office, Gift Certificates can be made out for any dollar amount, or for a specific class, concert, or series of lessons. Our helpful staff will be glad to assist you in selecting the right option for the musician on your list!
Tickets: $100 (Portion, tax receipt)
Mothers Day Garden Tour - 30th Anniversary Saturday, May 12th and Sunday, May 13th 2012
We will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of our signature fundraising event - the annual Mother’s Day Garden Tour. We invite you to help make this year’s event the best ever! Since its inception, the Mother’s Day Garden Tour has been the most prominent and popular garden tour in Victoria, consistently drawing over 1000 visitors. The 2012 Garden Tour will feature 10 of Victoria’s most impressive private gardens ranging from exotic to native, new to established, country to urban. Visitors can look forward to performances by talented VCM students and faculty at select gardens. To commemorate the 30th anniversary, this year’s event is dedicated to Mrs. Ann Nation, who established the Garden Tour in 1982 - just one of the many generous contributions she has made to the Conservatory. Tickets: $30 for the two-day pass
Enriching Lives through Music!
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