PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Deborah

Stapley-Graham

My mother, who couldn’t resist a good pun, loved March 4th. She said it was a day to take stock of one’s direction, make a strategic plan, and to march forth. These days, we would call such a thing a Dad Joke. Mom was good at Dad Jokes, and I tend to follow in her footsteps.

Why not use our March 4th concert to appreciate the upcoming events and performances that will round out our current season? It is exciting to see the Missoula Symphony Association taking on new directions and making new plans. We are thrilled to have David O’Dell join us as our Executive Director. He comes to Missoula with decades of experience guiding nonprofit performing arts organizations. David is enthusiastic, personable, and is a perfect fit for our community. Welcome, David!

Julia Tai continues to expand educational outreach to Missoula kids of all ages, giving our young audiences knowledge of and accessibility to orchestral music. Our library concerts have been huge hits, as has collaboration with MCPS music teachers and their students. Plans are underway to expand our summer string camps for students from elementary through high school.

Our board and staff have established a new event that took place last month, Wine, Whiskey, and Wisdom. We hope to see it become an annual event. Last year’s Gala and Broadway Show were incredibly successful, and we look forward to those events wrapping up our season. Soon, we will announce some new Summer events that will complement Symphony in the Park.

I welcome you all in joining us as we march forth through a truly engaging and eventful second half of our season!

Thank you all for being with us this weekend,

Deborah Stapley-Graham President