The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is about to get a major financial boost from the federal government. The National Endowment for the Arts will award the BPO a $50,000 grant thanks to $2.6 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The act awards federal grants to 64 orchestras nationwide in an effort to maintain full and part-time administrative and artistic positions at risk due to the current economic downturn.
At the BPO, the $50,000 grant will support the salaries of 31 part-time musicians for the 2009-2010 season, which is approximately one-third of the musicians the group will hire. Jennifer Koch Gibson, who wrote the grant for the BPO, said the grant frees up funds for their educational concert series, which won the 2008 Leonard Bernstein Award for educational programming.
The federal act and stimulus awards recognize the importance of the arts in every community nationwide. “The arts generate economic activity, create jobs and stimulate regional economies,” said Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter. “Especially in Western New York where the arts are an important part of our community, investment in the arts not only strengthens our cultural foundation, but our economy as well,” she continued.
The BPO has already released its impressive 2009-2010 schedule, which includes everything from “A Tribute to Motown” and “Bravo Broadway” to “The Nutcracker” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9,” the season’s opener. Dan Hart, the BPO’s executive director, said: “We are grateful to the National Endowment for the Arts for this important grant. This grant will secure important employment for our part-time musicians and, at the same time, maintain a high level of artistic integrity in repertoire we will present to audiences next year.”
For more information on the BPO’s upcoming season and summer concerts, visit their Web site.