Gift from Charlotte Symphony, CMS makes popular school music programs free again
A joint donation from the Charlotte Symphony and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will waive all fees for students who want to participate in the All-County Honors Orchestra and Band.
The donation aims to remove financial barriers preventing students from joining the popular honors instrumental programs, which include two middle school orchestras, one high school orchestra, and one middle school band — made up of students throughout the Mecklenburg County.
“Encouraging and creating opportunities for the next generation of musicians and music-lovers is a huge part of the Charlotte Symphony’s mission,” symphony president and CEO David Fisk said. “Financial status should never be a barrier for students to experience these vitally important music programs.”
The $8,000 donation will be split evenly between the symphony and CMS, according to a Charlotte Symphony spokeswoman.
CMS parents began paying for their students to be a part of the programs in 2020 when the district lost the funding for them, which had been provided through for more than 20 years by the 90-year-old Charlotte Concerts. The nonprofit spent about $20,000 a year on them before announcing in 2019 that it would cease as an independent organization, the Observer previously reported.
The yearlong programs (band, orchestra and chorus programs are held separately) included about 770 students each year. To get their students in the programs for the 2020-21 school year, parents paid $36 for the high school chorus, $19 for the middle school band and $20 for the orchestra.
Since the early 1950s, the symphony has offered weekday education concerts for schools — a tradition that has continued over the past 70 years.
The symphony employs 62 professional full-time orchestra musicians, and serves three youth orchestras.
