Symphony announces building bridges matching challenge

The Jacksonville Symphony announced its Building Bridges matching challenge on Friday, April 26. All new and additional gifts to the Symphony made through June 30, 2019 will be matched dollar for dollar up to $200,000. The Building Bridges campaign is made possible through the generous donations of $150,000 from the Lory and Pete Doolittle Family and $50,000 from Preston and Joan Haskell.

The Jacksonville Symphony is now in its 69^th season of enriching the human spirit through symphonic music thanks to the generosity and support of the North Florida community. The Symphony is the largest provider of music education in Northeast Florida and is able to provide more than 70,000 Jacksonville students with access to live music every year. Recognizing the importance of access to music education, the Symphony’s Building Bridges matching campaign will work to ensure that these programs will continue to grow along with the city of Jacksonville.

“The Pete and Lory Doolittle Family is pleased to support the Jacksonville Symphony because of the fine way it enhances our city. What fun it is to attend symphony events created by our excellent music director, Courtney Lewis. We are also enthusiastic about the musical educational opportunities that the Jacksonville Symphony provides for our city’s students,” Lory Doolittle said.                 

The incredible support of the Jacksonville community is what allows the Symphony to:

• Offer 350 budding musicians, from four counties in our region, the opportunity to learn and make music together in the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras;
• Send Jacksonville Symphony Ensembles to more than 40 schools annually, many of them Title 1 schools, bringing music and inspiration to students who might not otherwise get that opportunity;
• Have volunteers introduce children to the beauty and fascination of musical instruments during “Instrument Zoos” at Family Concerts, creating inclusiveness and connecting them with culture;
• Provide discount ticket programs such as the Sound Check Card, Student Rush and Under 18 Free.

“Music had such a major impact on me growing up; it shined a light on my path for the future and reminded me that if you can dream it, anything is possible,” said Courtney Bryan, Mary Carr Patton Composer-in-Residence, whose work, Bridges, premiered on April 4, 2019.

Those interested in making a donation can visit the symphony’s website or call (904) 807-1016.