San Bernardino, CA – A $90,000 grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians will sponsor two San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra concerts in their up-coming 89th season.
“We were thrilled with the generosity of the Tribe,” said Dean McVay, Symphony Board President. “They have always been the first to step forward and support local programs that benefit the arts.”
The two concerts were selected for sponsorship based upon their family focus and benefit to local education, long time priorities for the Tribe.
“Holiday Scenes,” December 2, 2017, will feature Andrew Lloyd Weber proteges Dale Kristien and Bill Hutton, as well as the Pro Musica Choir of Loma Linda Academy. The playbill will include a variety of holiday music inclusive of both classical and popular pieces. A pre-concert music enrichment event will be held prior to the concert at no charge to ticketholders.
“This is a concert everyone in the family will enjoy,” said McVay. “We are so blessed that San Manuel has allowed us to bring this wonderful gift to the community once again.”
The second sponsored concert, “Symphonic Landscapes,” will actually be performed three times.
On the morning of February 9th, 2018, over 3,400 students from the San Bernardino City Unified School District will be transported by the District to the California Theatre of the Performing Arts for back-to-back performances. The students will tour this local architectural gem before hearing selections by Bernstein, Borodin, Tomasi, and Gershwin. Virtuosic young saxophonist Michael Couper will be an inspirational featured performer. As in years past, the Symphony develops curriculum-specific educational materials to prepare the students for the experience and to stimulate classroom dialogue following the performance.
“We are pleased to have this partnership of both the School District and the Tribe that, together, will allow so many children to experience live orchestral music,” said Symphony Executive Director Dr. Anne Viricel. “The letters we have received from students following their concert experience are truly priceless and serve as a testament to the enduring value of this incredibly generous donation.”
The following evening, February 10th the full concert will be presented for the community.
Both concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the historic California Theatre of the Performing Arts, 562 W. 4th Street, San Bernardino. Tickets for the evening concerts, which begin at just $10 for students and active military, may be purchased by calling (909) 381-5388, on-line at www.sanbernardinosymphony.org, or by visiting the Symphony office at 198 N. Arrowhead Ave., San Bernardino. General admission tickets are also available with limited availability at the theater box office prior to each event.
About the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
The San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians is a federally recognized American Indian tribe located near the city of Highland, Calif. The Serrano Indians are the indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys, high deserts and mountains who share a common language and culture. The San Manuel reservation was established in 1891 and recognized as a sovereign nation with the right of self-government. As an indigenous community the origins and history of the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians stem from our relationship with the land and to all who share it. Since ancient times we have expressed ourselves through a culture of giving. Today, San Manuel is able to answer the call of Yawa’ (Serrano word meaning “to act on one’s beliefs”) through partnerships with charitable organizations. We have drawn upon our history, knowledge, expertise and cultural values to direct our philanthropic giving in our local region, as well as to Native American causes nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.sanmanuel-nsn.gov.
About the San Bernardino Symphony
The San Bernardino Symphony was founded in 1929 by Maestro James K. Guthrie, an internationally renowned conductor and community leader. Today, the Orchestra, one of the oldest and most prestigious in the region, consistently reaches unmatched standards of musical performance. Season subscription concerts are held at the historic California Theatre in downtown San Bernardino; but the Symphony also performs throughout the region – often free of charge to attendees thus fulfilling their mission of making symphonic music readily accessible to the diverse populations of San Bernardino and Riverside counties. They also maintain Maestro Guthrie’s vision of providing music in the schools through their acclaimed educational programs and maintenance of a more than 5,000-piece music library regularly utilized by many educational entities. For more information about the San Bernardino Symphony, visit www.sanbernardinosymphony.org.
