NOTE W16 | V02 In This Issue: 2016/17 Season Announced— Get Early Access! Highlights from the 2016 Florida Tour Your Gifts at Work
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CONTENTS 3 A Note from Teng Li, TSO Principal Viola 4 2016 Florida Tour 4 Introducing the Founders Club 5 Spotlight on Judy Dunn 6-7 Donors Making a Difference 8 2016/17 Season Announcement 9 Corporate Champion: Tippet-Richardson Ltd. 9 Join the TSO Legacy Circle 10 Meet Your Development Team 11 Upcoming Events 11 Bravo to Our Sponsors
Design: Haft2 Inc.
Photography: (cover, pgs. 2 & 8) Christopher Wahl (pg. 4) Malcolm Cook (pg. 6) Dustin Rabin (pg. 9) Racheal McCaig (pg. 10) Josh Clavir
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A NOTE FROM
TENG LI TSO Principal Viola
Dear supporter, With the public announcement of our 2016/17 concert season, it is easy to forget that it takes more than just an inspired composer, a compelling conductor, and a talented orchestra to make the music we all enjoy. It takes you. Your gifts are vital to the success of the Orchestra, which, in turn, is an essential component of our city’s vibrant culture. In this issue of Noteworthy, you’ll see how your support is creating a bright future for your TSO. Thank you so much for the passion and commitment you show us with your generosity. We finished 2015 on a very high note—with soldout houses at Roy Thomson Hall for nearly every
concert we performed in December. It was a joy to play a part in your family traditions over the holidays! Soon after, we celebrated the new year in sunny Florida, playing six concerts over five days at five magnificent concert halls. Sharing Canada’s talent abroad is an important part of our work, and, as a musician, I was touched to find so many TSO supporters in the audience so far from home.
owner, Dr. William Waters, and for that I am most grateful. It was an enormous pleasure to celebrate Mozart’s 260th birthday by performing on an instrument that was crafted before his time! Thank you once again for being a part of our successes this season. I am so proud of what we have done, and continue to do, together.
Teng Li
Some of you may know that I have the unmatched privilege of playing a historically significant instrument—the 1703 Hieronymus II Amati Viola of Cremona, Italy. This instrument was recently donated to the TSO by its generous
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2016 FLORIDA TOUR
INTRODUCING
THE FOUNDERS CLUB The Founders Club is a visionary new patrons’ group at the TSO. Through their philanthropic leadership, Founders Club members make it possible for the TSO to reimagine what an orchestra can be within its communities, now and in the exciting years to come. Founders Club members demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to advancing the orchestral music art form by supporting the TSO’s four strategic priorities—Cultural & Artistic Excellence, Pre-professional Training & Talent Development, Community Outreach & Education, and Innovation Platforms & Arts Leadership.
In January, the TSO made its much-anticipated return to Florida, delivering six performances in five cities—West Palm Beach, Naples, Miami, Daytona Beach, and Gainesville. For our fifth tour of the Sunshine State, Music Director Peter Oundjian led the members of the Orchestra and guest pianist Jan Lisiecki—an amazing Canadian talent at just 20 years old—in two crowdpleasing programs. The first program introduced American audiences to a contemporary Canadian work, Wondrous Light by Newmarket, Ontario-born composer John Estacio. It also featured Lisiecki in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, and the TSO’s own Concertmaster, Jonathan Crow, in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.
The second program—a special matinee performance at the Kravis Center for Performing Arts in West Palm Beach—saw the spotlight on Lisiecki once again as he played Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1. And the concert concluded with the TSO’s very well-received performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, “Pathetique”. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Air Canada, the Official Airline of the TSO Florida Tour; Tippet-Richardson, the Tour Cartage Sponsor; and those donors whose support made this tour possible. Your TSO is an Orchestra of the very highest calibre, and it is of paramount importance that we showcase our music—and our incredible Canadian talents—on the world stage. Thank you for your support.
The leadership support of the Founders Club comprises three levels of giving: • $100,000–$299,999 • $300,000–$999,999 • $1,000,000+ In acknowledgement of the remarkable commitment and generosity of Founders Club members, the TSO is pleased to offer highly customized and meaningful benefits including: • Concierge-style ticketing services • Invitations to exclusive events and priceless experiences • Opportunities for premium recognition
For more information about the Founders Club, please contact Catherine Laird, Stewardship Officer, at 416.593.7769 X 272 or claird@TSO.CA.
Photo by Malcolm Cook
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SPOTLIGHT ON
JUDY DUNN
I first attended the TSO with my husband in the late 1960s when a work colleague gave us his tickets a few times when he couldn’t go. Seiji Ozawa was the conductor, and we were thrilled to hear such an incredible orchestra at the wonderful Massey Hall. I had grown up with classical music: my mother played the piano and, if she wasn’t playing Chopin or Beethoven herself, there was a Van Cliburn or Glenn Gould recording on the record player. However, the TSO was the first professional orchestra I ever heard live. My husband and I lived in Halifax for many years and attended Symphony Nova Scotia concerts regularly. When I returned to Toronto in 2005, one of the first things I did was buy a TSO Masterworks Series subscription. I was now in a position to donate, so I decided to join the Maestro’s Club. I wanted to support the Orchestra but also to enhance my own experience by meeting and chatting with other
Music is one of life’s great joys and it gives me pleasure to think that I may be contributing to someone else’s happiness in the future.
music lovers in the lounge. I met TSO staff as well, and, when the Maestro’s Club Ambassadors program was created in 2007, I was asked if I would like to be an Ambassador. I was delighted to accept the offer. I enjoy talking to people and sharing my enthusiasm for the TSO— it is a privilege to be part of this group. I donate to the TSO because of the importance of music in my life, and because I know that just buying tickets does not cover the cost of creating that music. I occasionally donate to specific projects, such as the European Tour or the TSYO, but my monthly contributions go wherever they are needed most. By including the TSO in my Estate Planning, I’m able to make a more significant contribution to the Orchestra. Music is one of life’s great joys and it gives me pleasure to think that I may be contributing to someone else’s happiness in the future.
Judy Dunn Donor & Maestro’s Club Ambassador
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DONORS MAKING A DIFFERENCE YOUR GIFTS HAVE UNLOCKED THE TSO’S POTENTIAL THIS YEAR. 1
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CULTURAL & ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
PRE-PROFESSIONAL TRAINING & TALENT DEVELOPMENT
TSO recently announced 1 The partnerships with the Polaris
of this season, the Toronto 3 As Symphony Youth Orchestra is
October 1, the TSYO 4 On performed alongside Canadian
tuition-free for its talented young members.
global pop sensation Shawn Mendes during the Toronto WE Day event.
Music Prize, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and SickKids— with many more to come. Photo by Dustin Rabin
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Orchestra performed the 2 The national anthem during the Opening Ceremony of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games as well as a Toronto Blue Jays post-season baseball game.
IT TAKES MORE THAN A GREAT ORCHESTRA TO MAKE GREAT MUSIC.
IT TAKES YOU.
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH & EDUCATION
INNOVATION PLATFORMS & ARTS LEADERSHIP
goal has been met with TSO currently serves 37,000 5 The 6 This an extraordinary reception, children and youth through our
TSO is fundraising for a weekly radio show, Sunday 7 Our 8 The prominent 2017 Tour of Israel Night with the TSO, broadcast on
education initiatives. With your help, we can expand this number to reach all 300,000 public school students in the GTA.
including funding discussions with the City of Toronto, the Government of Ontario, and private donors.
The New Classical FM, continues as No. 1 in its time slot.
& Europe to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Canada’s Confederation and our nation’s ties to Israel.
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2016/17 SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT On February 3, at Roy Thomson Hall, Music Director Peter Oundjian announced the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s 2016/17 season—our 95th. Collaborations abound in the newly unveiled programming as we continue on the path to becoming the world’s most innovative orchestra. Canadian composer Owen Pallett joins Peter Oundjian and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra to curate the 13th annual New Creations Festival, which brings astonishing throat singer and 2014 Polaris Music Prize winner Tanya Tagaq, celebrated Canadian violinist James Ehnes, acclaimed pianist Yefim Bronfman, and newmusic rock stars the Kronos Quartet to Toronto. The Mozart@261 Festival—presented at the TELUS Centre’s Koerner Hall—will comprise six performances that have been co-curated by the much-admired Mozart specialist Bernard Labadie and Peter Oundjian.
We’ve partnered with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to expand our wildly successful film programming. Next season will feature your TSO performing highlights from composer Danny Elfman’s 30 years of collaboration with Tim Burton, as well as screenings of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ratatouille, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring—all with live orchestral accompaniment. These concerts will be in very high demand, so take advantage of your donor benefits and purchase your subscription series in advance! Each performance in our Young People’s Concert series will be the perfect opportunity to bring your children or grandchildren to the TSO in 2016/17. Join us for the Halloween-themed Symphony Spooktacular or the TSO’s educational classic, How the Gimquat Found Her Song. We’ll also be presenting Lights, Camera…Orchestra!—
Photo by Christopher Wahl
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an exploration of the magic of movies and music in partnership with TIFF—and the return of The Hockey Sweater, with music by Abigail Richardson-Schulte and narration by Roch Carrier, the author of the classic Canadian story. All in all, the 2016/17 season promises incredible experiences to satisfy any musical taste. We strive to be an orchestra for all Torontonians, while aspiring to the very highest standard of artistic excellence. We hope you enjoy choosing your concerts for the season!
CORPORATE CHAMPION:
Tippet-Richardson Ltd. is honoured to be involved in serving the local—and global—community to deliver Toronto’s very own world-class orchestra. We are proud of our long-standing relationship with the TSO and look forward to serving the community for years to come.
TSO Music Director Peter Oundjian and Tippet-Richardson Ltd. President & CEO John Novak in front of a classic Tippet-Richardson Ltd. truck
This season marks the 11th consecutive year that Tippet-Richardson Ltd. has sponsored the TSO as our trusted cartage partner. Their support has allowed the TSO to impact the surrounding areas—to inspire, engage, and enhance the City of Toronto through musical excellence, education, community outreach, and artistic innovation.
Due to the professionalism and excellent cartage service that Tippet-Richardson Ltd. provides, the TSO calls upon their expertise multiple times a year to deliver instruments wherever the Orchestra plays. From their first delivery in 2005/06 on the Northern Ontario Tour to Timmins and Sudbury, to the recent and successful 2016 Florida Tour, Tippet-Richardson Ltd. has been a fantastic partner to work with.
—John Novak, President & CEO, Tippet-Richardson Ltd.
We would like to thank them for their continuous and unwavering commitment to the Orchestra— and to the development of art and culture in this city and beyond. We would like to specifically acknowledge John Novak, President & CEO of Tippet Richardson Ltd., along with all of the Tippet-Richardson Ltd. employees who care for our instruments like they were their own children.
Your TSO is reimagining what an orchestra can be within its communities. You can play an important role in your Orchestra’s future while establishing a lasting personal legacy by leaving a planned gift to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra or the Toronto Symphony Foundation. The TSO Legacy Circle recognizes the generosity and vision of those donors who have provided for the future of your Orchestra and have notified us of their intentions. You will enjoy special benefits designed to bring you into the fold of the TSO family.
JOIN THE TSO LEGACY CIRCLE Photo by Racheal McCaig
While your planned gift will be realized in the future, by letting us know of your intention to include the TSO in your estate plans, you will become a lifetime member of the Legacy Circle. Deferred gifts, particularly bequests including cash, securities, real estate, life-insurance proceeds, RRIFs, RSPs, pensions, and gifts in kind, are all eligible. If you wish to be acknowledged as a Legacy Circle member and receive the corresponding benefits, please confirm your gift in writing.
A Planned Gift Confirmation Form is available online at TSO.CA/PlannedGiving, or from Marion York, Director of Philanthropy, at 416.593.7769 X 292 or myork@TSO.CA. 9
MEET YOUR 2015/16
DEVELOPMENT TEAM Marion York Director of Philanthropy
Angela Nelson-Heesch Director of Annual Giving (Interim)
Adam Bailey Manager of Annual Giving
Jenny Kerr Ticketing Coordinator
416.593.7769 X 292 myork@TSO.CA
416.593.7769 X 259 anelson-heesch@TSO.CA
416.593.7769 X 257 abailey@TSO.CA
416.598.5380
Jaime Robson Major Gifts Officer
Catherine Laird Stewardship Officer
Cynthia Foo Foundations Officer
416.593.7769 X 272 claird@TSO.CA
416.593.7769 X 215 cfoo@TSO.CA
Steve Kwan Individual Giving Coordinator
416.593.7769 X 285 jrobson@TSO.CA
INTRODUCING
MARK RITTINGER VICE-PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT
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Photos by Josh Clavir
If you are a member of the Maestro’s Club, Music Director’s Circle, or Founders Club and wish to purchase tickets, review your subscription, or make ticket exchanges, please contact:
416.593.7769 X 414 skwan@TSO.CA
We are pleased to introduce Mark Rittinger, our new Vice-President, Development, who joined the TSO on March 1. During his 20-plus-year career in fundraising, Mark has been tremendously fortunate to serve at two internationally ranked and renowned business schools in both Canada and the United States. Mark comes to the TSO from the Schulich School of Business where he has served since 2009 as Executive Director, Development & Alumni Relations, leading a team of advancement professionals supporting the Dean in all aspects of fundraising and alumni relations both in Canada and internationally.
to Canada to join the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), ultimately serving as Vice President, Development, for the ROM Governors—part of a team that raised more than $250 million in support of the transformational Renaissance ROM campaign.
Previously, Mark served as Director of Major Gifts and Campaign Director, New York Region, for the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. At the time, Booth was engaged in a successful $250-million campaign as part of the $2-billion Chicago Initiative. Mark returned
We are honoured to have Mark on the TSO team and look forward to introducing him to you in person in the coming months.
Over the years, Mark has been an active volunteer for the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education and currently serves as Director at Large for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Toronto Area Chapter, the largest such chapter in the world.
UPCOMING EVENTS
BRAVO TO OUR SPONSORS
OPEN REHEARSALS
SEASON PRESENTING SPONSOR
Experience the fascinating steps the Orchestra takes to prepare for a performance. Vivaldi Concerto for Two Trumpets Wed, Mar 2, 2016 10:00am–12:30pm Mahler Symphony 1 Thu, Apr 28, 2016 10:00am–12:30pm
MAJOR SPONSORS
Shostakovich Symphony 13 “Babi Yar” Thu, May 12, 2016 7:30–10:00pm (with Audio Commentary by TSO Composer Advisor Gary Kulesha)
OFFICIAL AIRLINE
OPENING NIGHT GALA SPONSOR
POPS SERIES PRESENTING SPONSOR
PERFORMANCE AND TOUR CARTAGE SPONSOR
SERIES AND SPECIAL PROJECTS SPONSORS
PERFORMANCE SPONSORS
BACKSTAGE EXPERIENCES Join TSO Production Manager Chris Walroth and Principal Librarian Gary Corrin for an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience at Roy Thomson Hall. For Brass-level donors and above ($325+). Limited space available.
Backstage Tour #2 Mon, Mar 21, 2016 7:00–9:00pm
RSVP
TORONTO SYMPHONY VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE
MEDIA AND CORPORATE SUPPORTERS AFG Management Limited Canadian Tire CBC Radio 2 CIBC Deloitte LLP Diamante Development Corporation Divine Furniture Rental EY Flor de Sal Restaurant
Fogler Rubinoff LLP Foresters Goodmans LLP Grano Hansell LLP HelloGbye Inc. Henry’s Huntress Company LiberTerre (Retail Ready Foods Inc.)
Livewire Communications Oliver Wyman PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP RioCan Management Inc. TD Bank Group TD Securities The Corporation of Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall
The New AM 740 The New Classical FM The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto The Toronto Star Torys LLP Tricon Capital Wentworth Technologies Worldwide Quest
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
We look forward to seeing you. To RSVP for an event, please contact Patron Services at 416.598.3375 or friends@TSO.CA. *List reflects sponsors as of November 1, 2015
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On behalf of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the many talented artists and students who benefit from your gift, Thank you for your support.
212 King Street West, 1st Floor Toronto, ON M5H 1K5
SEASON PRESENTING SPONSOR
SEASON PATRON
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