- DSO brought together musicians, board members, trustees, and staff in community outreach on Friday, October 19
- Learn more online at #DSOImpact
Detroit, (October 22, 2018) – Following a morning concert on Friday, October 19, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) musicians, board members, trustees, and administrators left Orchestra Hall and spread throughout Metro Detroit for its sixth annual Day of Service. This project partnered with three Detroit organizations to show gratitude for the support the orchestra receives from its greater communities.
DSO personnel spent the afternoon performing general farm maintenance, crop harvesting, and building greenhouses with Keep Growing Detroit; assisting Friends for the Animals of Metro Detroit in their transition to a new facility; and painting playground rocks for the young patients and family members at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
Priding itself on being a “Community Supported Orchestra,” the Detroit Symphony Orchestra loves any opportunity to give back to the southeast Michigan community that supports the organization. The DSO’s Social Progress Initiative, announced May 2017, introduced and expanded the orchestra’s programs that provide access to music for all. In partnering with these outside organizations, the DSO seeks to express its continued commitment to the city of Detroit and its surrounding neighborhoods, as well as the work of other institutions that support them.
About the DSO
Hailed by the New York Times as “cutting edge,” the internationally acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, visionary maestros, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and an ardent commitment to Detroit. As a community-supported orchestra, generous giving by individuals and institutions at all levels drives the continued success and growth of the institution. Esteemed conductor Leonard Slatkin, called “America’s Music Director” by the Los Angeles Times, became the DSO’s 12th Music Director, endowed by the Kresge Foundation, in 2008. The 2017-2018 Season marked Slatkin’s tenth and final year in the role, and in 2018-2019 he returns as Music Director Laureate. Acclaimed conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Jeff Tyzik serves as Principal Pops Conductor, while celebrated trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard holds the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair. With growing attendance and unwavering philanthropic support from the Detroit community, the DSO’s performance schedule includes Classical, Pops, Jazz, Young People’s, and Neighborhood concerts, and collaborations with high profile artists from Steven Spielberg to Ben Folds and Lang Lang. In July 2017, the DSO embarked on its first international tour in 16 years, making its debut in China and first visit to Japan in 19 years. A commitment to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a radio broadcast, and continues today with the free Live from Orchestra Hall webcast series, which also reaches tens of thousands of children with the Classroom Edition expansion. Making its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, one of America’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, the DSO actively pursues a mission to embrace and inspire individuals, families, and communities through unsurpassed musical experiences.