September 2020
Washington Friends of Music Celebrates Successful Fundraiser Supporting Musicians
Over the last seven years, Washington Friends of Music has brought a series of Summer Festival concerts and the very popular New Year's Day Concert with The New Baroque Soloists to Washington. The members of this chamber ensemble are internationally accomplished artists, many with leading orchestras such as the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
As these events have grown in popularity, leading to sell-out concerts, the Board of Washington Friends of Music, a not-for-profit organization, launched a fundraiser to support the artists who performed over the last few years but have been idled by the Covid-19 pandemic. An ambitious goal of $20,000 was set.
On September 1st the campaign came to a close. The community not only met but exceeded the goal - clear evidence of the admiration music lovers and friends of WFM have developed for these performers. Washington Friends of Music picked up the fees associated with online giving so that 100% of the donations could be distributed to the musicians.
The contributions tell the story: an estimated very impressive 70% of those who attended the concerts over recent years donated to the WFM Musicians Fund, some very generously. There is no better demonstration of the appreciation and enthusiasm the community has for these musicians. It all bodes well for the resumption of the concerts in 2021.
THANK YOU!
Board of Directors
Washington Friends of Music
Douglas Myers, Artistic Director and founder of The New Baroque Soloists |
| | | |
|
Again - THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS on your brilliant fundraising!
I have been inundated by lovely emails from very grateful players. They would love to thank the audience as well as the Board.
As many players mentioned in their emails to me, this positive response is a wonderful indication of the high regard the Washington community has for us !!
Warm regards,
Doug
What an unbelievably lovely surprise! I can't tell you how much I appreciate this thoughtfulness and generosity.
These are very interesting times for a musician, but I feel lucky to still be rehearsing and playing live-stream concerts with my percussion quartet. We're focusing on audio/video recording projects now which is fun in its own way, but I certainly miss the feeling of live performances.
How are you and Waltraud doing, along with all the Washington Friends of Music? I miss playing concerts for all of you, hopefully, we can do that again in the not too distant future.
All the best and thank you again!
-Jonny
Song-A Shaughnessy, violin |
| | | |
|
Thank you so much for reaching out to me!
How generous of you to have done such a wonderful thing as this for the musicians!!!
I can’t thank you enough for keeping us in mind during this very difficult time for as lol of us!
I hope that you and all of your board members are well also.
Please convey my gratitude to all of your members and I hope that we can come together soon!
Keep safe and healthy!
SongA Cho
Thank you so very much for this generous and gracious offer! I couldn't believe when I heard about it from Doug. We missed so much performing for our friends in Washington this summer... I hope we can all go back playing music in concerts soon. Meanwhile please be safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Yuko Naito-Gotay
I hope that you are well.
I heard about this incredible news from Doug a few days ago; it is truly an unbelievably kind and generous gesture of the Washington Friends of Music! A heartfelt "thank you" to all the board members and the friends of WFM!
With gratitude,
Wei Tan
How are you doing? Thank you so much for writing and for your generous support of us musicians in these tough times! That is incredibly kind of you. I miss playing in Washington and hope we can share music soon!
Thank you so much, again!
All the best,
Amanda
Wow! Thank you so much! This gesture is completely unexpected and incredibly generous! Are you all well and staying safe? I have been thinking about everyone, especially since we tragically lost Vinnie. The world is a crazy place, but I know that the community we have formed through music will also help heal us as we move forward.
I have missed you all this summer. My sincere hope is that we can be together at the New Year to ring in a brighter, better 2021.
My heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you, and best wishes for good health!
Thank you,
Lillian
This is remarkably generous of the WFM community. Please extend my heartfelt gratitude.
Thank you,
Joel
Andrew Behrens, double bass |
| | | |
|
A real pleasure to hear from you, I hope all is well.
This is such fantastic and heartwarming news. I couldn't be more grateful to you and the rest of the organization for your continued kindness and support for the arts. You have no idea what this means to me and the other musicians!
Hope to see you soon.
Thanks again,
Andrew Behrens
Donald Meineke, keyboards and organ |
| | | |
|
Oh my goodness!! How very thoughtful, generous, and sweet of you all!! I very much miss seeing you and the whole gang this summer, but I’m so touched that you have thought of us during these times.
Sending you my warmest regards and hopes that you are healthy and well!
Donald
Terence J. Flanagan, keyboards and organ |
I am touched by this news. I do not know of many who have not been affected by our current pandemic. This kind gesture speaks great volumes of your feelings towards musicians and what they have to offer. It has truly been a joy to perform for you each and every time and do hope that sometime in the near future it is possible to make music again in the way it was intended - together in person and in the presence of others.
All the best to you.
Terry
Thank you so much! This is wonderful to hear and your consideration and thoughtfulness means the world to me.
I eagerly look forward to the day when we can play for you all again!
Thank you again,
Pablo
How are you! Thank you very much for including me! What a wonderful surprise!
I hope everybody is safe and healthy and the music will resume soon!
All my warmest wishes,
Sergey
Wow, that's amazing! Thank you!
Vielen herzlichen Dank! Ich bin sprachlos. Sie sind eine tolle großzügige Gemeinschaft. Das Sie die Kunst so schätzen, ist echt berührend.
Ich hoffe sehr, das ich dem nächst mich auch persönlich bedanken kann und bei Ihnen spielen darf!
Alles gute, bleiben Sie gesund!
Roni
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.