Longwood Symphony Orchestra

CONTACT:

P.O. Box 886
Brookline, MA 02446
508-877-3928
www.longwoodsymphony.org

Jonathan McPhee, Music Director and Conductor

DESCRIPTION:

The LSO was formed in 1982, originally just to give medical professionals who are also musicians an opportunity to practice their fine art. In 1991, following a highly successful charity performance with Yo-Yo Ma and others, for the Albert Schweitzer Urban Fellows Program, LSO decided to incorporate service to philanthropy as an integral part of its mission. Today it has 100 members, 80% of whom are medical professionals; the orchestra performs four concerts annually at Jordan Hall, one on the Esplanade (Catalogue ’04) and one at the Walnut Hill School; its Musical Director is Jonathan McPhee, who is also Musical Director of the Boston Ballet. Each concert is a collaborative fundraiser between LSO and the designated healthcare-related charity. The charity buys a discounted block of 300 tickets at $10 apiece—a 60% discount; the LSO makes an in-kind donation of $4,500, and works with the organization to design a gala event, advertise and sell tickets. In fundraising as in music, practice improves performance — the returns to the charities have steadily increased, and now each benefit concert raises $20,000-$30,000 for the charity; usually the collaborations continue for several years. Philanthropy promoting philanthropy.

(2005: PROMOTING PHILANTHROPY: Charities Helping Charities)