TBSO Receives Grants through
Thunder Bay Community Foundation

#LSN_Arts 

THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO   - November 6, 2018  (LSN)  Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra (TBSO) President Linda Penner and Director Mary Anne Cooper received two grants totalling $7,000 through the Thunder Bay Community Foundation to support greater accessibility to classical music.

The first grant will fund TBSO’s Family Connects Project as a part of the orchestra’s Family concert series. The grant will support special 45-minute pre-concert performances for children with disabilities and their families.

 

The pre-concert performances are designed especially for them, in a calmer more intimate setting prior to each regular Family Series concert. The performances will involve a combination of props: graphic flash cards, puppets, scarves, and a music therapist working together with the conductor and orchestra. The custom programming will allow the children to interact with the music in a more tangible and meaningful way.

 

The second grant will fund TBSO’s Under-30 Access Pass program. The pass is aimed at young adults who may not be able to afford regular adult prices for concert tickets, the opportunity to purchase a discounted ticket to any one of TBSO's regular season concerts. Anyone 30 years of age and under can register for the pass online at tbso.ca.

 

There is no cost to register. Access Pass members may purchase up to two tickets per concert for just $17.50 each, and use the second ticket for a guest of any age.

 

The Under-30 Access Pass is an effective way of removing demographic barriers to make symphony concerts more accessible to the next generation of classical music fans.

 

The Board and management of the TBSO is most grateful to the Thunder Bay Community Foundation and their contributors — specifically the Hannah and Victor Stevenson Fund for Education and Arts Development and the Dr. S. Penny Petrone Fund — for these generous grants that provide the opportunity for younger listeners to experience the beauty and emotional depth of classical music.

 

- 30 -