Related News – San Manuel Tribe Donation to Sponsor Two Symphony Concerts!

San Bernardino, CA – 8/22/2016 – A $70,000 grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians will sponsor two San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra concerts in their up-coming 88th season.

“We were thrilled with the generosity of the Tribe,” said Dr. Judith Valles, Symphony Board President. “They have always been the first to step forward and support programs that benefit the arts and we are so blessed to have them in our community.”

The two concerts were selected for sponsorship based upon their family focus and benefit to local education, long time priorities for the Tribe.

“Home for the Holidays,” December 17, 2016, will include  a variety of holiday music inclusive of both classical and popular pieces. Audiences will enjoy compositions by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Berlin, Biegel, and Gould… and a few special surprises.  A pre-concert family music enrichment event featuring performers from the Inland Valley Repertory Theatre and from San Bernardino Valley College will be held prior to the concert at no charge to ticket holders.

“Last December was a very difficult time for all of us in San Bernardino,” Valles.  “It was as if the whole community needed to gather and share something good together and, in a small way, we were able to meet that need through our music. San Manuel has allowed us to bring this wonderful gift to the community once again.”

The second sponsored concert, “Symphonic Surprise,” will actually be performed three times.

On the morning of February 10t^h, 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 Haydn, Stravinsky, and Mozart. Young violinist Usha Kapoor 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 11th, 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. 4^th Street, San Bernardino. Tickets for the evening concerts, which begin at just $10 for students, 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.