DES MOINES SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION
1011 LOCUST ST SUITE 200, DES MOINES, IA 50309 www.dmsymphony.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT, PROFESSIONAL ORCHESTRA FORMED IN 1937 TO ENRICH, EDUCATE AND INSPIRE THE COMMUNITY BY PERFORMING GREAT ORCHESTRAL MUSIC. THE SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION, GOVERNED BY A VOLUNTEER BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OPERATING ON AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF MORE THAN 4.2 MILLION, SUPPORTS THE SYMPHONY ACADEMY AND ITS NUMEROUS MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS INCLUDING FOUR YOUTH ORCHESTRAS AND A YOUTH WIND ENSEMBLE, AND SUPPORTS THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WHICH PERFORMS SEVEN PAIRS OF MASTERWORKS CONCERTS, A SUMMER SEASON OF FREE OUTDOOR CONCERTS AT THE LAURIDSEN AMPHITHEATER IN WATER WORKS PARK, A REGULAR SEASON POPS SERIES INCLUDING THE TRADITIONAL NEW YEAR'S EVE POPS, AND EDUCATION, OUTREACH AND FAMILY CONCERTS. THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY ALSO PRODUCES AND PERFORMS THE ANNUAL YANKEE DOODLE POPS CONCERT IN JULY ON THE GROUNDS OF THE IOWA STATE CAPITOL, WHICH LAST YEAR ATTRACTED MORE THAN 100,000, THE LARGEST SINGLE DAY ATTENDANCE OF ANY CONCERT EVENT IN THE STATE.

THE MISSION OF THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY IS TO ENRICH, EDUCATE AND INSPIRE THE COMMUNITY BY PERFORMING GREAT ORCHESTRAL MUSIC.

ESTABLSIHED IN 1937 AS AN ADJUNCT OF DRAKE UNIVERSITY, THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION BECAME A SEPARATE ENTITY IN 1969. IN 1989, JOSEPH GIUNTA BEGAN HIS TENURE AS MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR OF THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY. EVERY SEASON, THE SYMPHONY PERFORMS SEVEN PAIRS OF MASTERWORKS CONCERTS AT THE DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER, AS WELL AS EDUCATION AND FAMILY CONCERTS, AND BOTH A REGULAR SEASON AND SUMMER SEASON POPS SERIES, INCLUDING OUR ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S EVE POPS AND YANKEE DOODLE POPS CONCERTS. YANKEE DOODLE POPS IS A FREE INDEPENDENCE DAY HOLIDAY PERFORMANCE WHICH DRAWS OVER 100,000 PEOPLE TO THE GROUNDS OF THE IOWA STATE CAPITOL EVERY YEAR. WE DRAW AUDIENCE MEMBERS FROM THROUGHOUT IOWA, THE MAJORITY COMING FROM THE CENTRAL IOWA REGION WITH A METRO POPULATION OF APPROXIMATELY 685,000. THIS GEOGRAPHIC REACH AND THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO HEAR THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY PERFORMANCES ARE BOTH EXPANDED SIGNIFICANTLY THROUGH CONCERT BROADCASTS OVER IOWA PUBLIC RADIO (IPR), A STATEWIDE RADIO NETWORK. IN ADDITION TO REGULAR CIVIC CENTER CONCERTS, THE SYMPHONY HAS A LONG HISTORY OF RUN-OUT CONCERTS WHICH HAVE HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON ACCESS AND AUDIENCE GROWTH FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC IN IOWA. IN ADDITION TO OUR ANNUAL YANKEE DOODLE POPS CONCERTS, IN THE PAST WE HAVE PERFORMED CONCERTS IN AMES, WAUKEE, DECORAH, NEWTON, OSKALOOSA, PERRY, CORYDON, GRINNELL AND CLARINDA. THE ORCHESTRA HAS ALSO BEEN INVITED TO PERFORM DURING TWO WORLD FOOD PRIZE EVENTS, INCLUDING IN 2006 WHEN IT PERFORMED THE WORLD PREMIERE OF A COMMISSIONED WORK BY MINNESOTA COMPOSER STEVE HEITZEG, SYMPHONY TO A PRAIRIE FARM. IN ITS 82 YEAR HISTORY THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY HAS COMMISSIONED AND PREMIERED 27 NEW ORCHESTRAL WORKS. THE 2019-20 SEASON WAS OUR EIGHTY-SECOND SEASON, COINCIDING WITH JOSEPH GIUNTA'S THIRTY-FIRST SEASON AS MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR. GIUNTA'S LONG TENURE IS QUITE NOTABLE AMONG AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS AND IS A TESTAMENT TO HIS COMMITMENT TO, AND THE SUPPORT HE HAS RECEIVED FROM, DES MOINES AND CENTRAL IOWA. COMPELLING PROGRAMMING, COMBINED WITH AN AGGRESSIVE MARKETING CAMPAIGN AND STRATEGIC TICKET PRICES, INCLUDING HALF-PRICE STUDENT ADMISSION, HAS RESULTED IN A 17% INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE REVENUE; AND A 19% INCREASE IN PAID ATTENDANCE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND AN 75% SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL RATE. THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY STRIVES TO CONTRIBUTE, THROUGH PROGRAMMING, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THE FOLLOWING STATISTICS PROVIDE SOLID MEASURES OF THE POSITIVE IMPACT THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY HAS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND STATE: 1. THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY PROVIDES EMPLOYMENT TO OVER 185 PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS AND ACADEMY FACULTY MEMBERS, MAKING US THE STATE'S LARGEST EMPLOYER OF MUSICAL ARTISTS. 2. REGULAR ATTENDANCE AT ALL CIVIC CENTER AND OTHER CONCERTS WAS 33,336 IN 2019-20. THIS WAS A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN ATTENDANCE FROM NORMAL SEASONS DUE TO EIGHT CONCERTS BEING CANCELLED STARTING IN MARCH 2020 BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 3. THE AUDIENCE FOR THE FREE YANKEE DOODLE POPS CONCERT HAS GROWN TO OVER 100,000 PEOPLE. LOOKED AT ANOTHER WAY, NEARLY 18% OF RESIDENTS OF THE METRO AREA ATTENDS YANKEE DOODLE POPS. 4. 5,939 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ATTENDED THE SYMPHONY'S SCHOOL-DAY YOUTH CONCERTS IN 2020.

THE SYMPHONY ACADEMY WAS FOUNDED IN 2003 AND OFFERS AN ARRAY OF PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP INSTRUCTION, PERFORMANCE AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. OVER 600 STUDENTS, FROM PRE-SCHOOL TO ADULTS, INCLUDING FOUR YOUTH ORCHESTRAS AND A YOUTH WIND ENSEMBLE, PARTICIPATE IN OVER 20 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AT THE ACADEMY EACH WEEK, WHERE 25 MUSIC EDUCATORS FROM RESPECTED LOCAL INSTIUTIONS, INCLUDING DES MOINES SYMPHONY MUSICIANS AND TEACHERS FROM AREA UNIVERSITIES SERVE AS FACULTY MEMBERS. EACH YEAR THE ACADEMY ORGANIZES ARTIST RESIDENCIES, A PROGRAM THAT GIVES STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND WORK WITH GUEST ARTISTS EACH YEAR THROUGH VARIOUS PERFORMANCES, WORKSHOPS, SCHOOL VISITS AND PRIVATE WORK WITH OUR ACADEMY STUDENTS. FOR THE 2019-20 SCHOOL YEAR, THE ACADEMY CONTINUED TO INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION IN ITS YOUTH ORCHESTRAS PROGRAM. FOLLOWING SUCCESSFUL FALL AUDITIONS AND NEW RECRUITMENT MEASURES THAT INLUDED IN-PERSON SCHOOL VISITS BY JOSEPH GIUNTA, OVER 260 STUDENTS NOW PARTICIPATE. THE MISSION OF THE YOUTH ORCHESTRAS IS TO PROVIDE ACCOMPLISHED AND MOTIVATED YOUNG MUSICIANS OF CENTRAL IOWA WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND THEIR MUSICAL HORIZONS BY PERFORMING CHALLENGING ORCHESTRAL REPERTOIRE UNDER EXPERT AND PROFESSIONAL MUSICAL LEADERSHIP. PARTICIPATION IN THE YOUTH ORCHESTRAS BUILDS UPON THE MUSICAL INSTRUCTION STUDENTS RECEIVE THROUGH SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAMS, PRIVATE LESSONS, AND PRIVATE STUDY AT THE ACADEMY. PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE A COMPREHENSIVE MUSIC EDUCATION AS THEY PROGRESS THROUGH THE SEQUENCE OF THE FOUR ORCHESTRAS: PRELUDIO STRINGS, YOUTH SINFONIA, YOUTH PHILHARMONIC (INTERMEDIATE STRINGS), AND YOUTH SYMPHONY (ADVANCED FULL ORCHESTRA); AND THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED YOUTH WIND ENSEMBLE. EACH ENSEMBLE REHEARSES ON A WEEKLY BASIS IN PREPARATION FOR 4 OR MORE CONCERTS EACH YEAR. THE CHALLENGING REPERTOIRE FOR THE YOUTH SYMPHONY REGULARLY INCLUDES WORKS IN THE STANDARD ORCHESTRAL REPERTOIRE. EACH OF THE ACADEMY'S FIVE YOUTH ENSEMBLES IS LED BY A PROFESSIONAL MUSIC EDUCATOR AND/OR PROFESSIONAL CONDUCTOR. MATT MEYER IS A MEMBER OF THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY AND CONDUCTS THE PRELUDIO STRINGS AND YOUTH SINFONIA. HE HAS DEGRESS IN VIOLIN PERFORMANCE AND MUSIC EDUCATION AND IS SERVING IN HIS EIGHTEENTH YEAR AS AN ELEMENTARY ORCHESTRA DIRECTOR IN THE WEST DES MOINES COMMUNITY SCHOOLS. MICHELLE SENGER, WHO CONDUCTS THE YOUTH PHILHARMONIC, IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE SYMPHONY AND WAS LISTED IN THE 2005 AND 2006 EDITIONS OF WHO'S WHO AMONG AMERICA'S TEACHERS; AND IN 2014 WAS AWARDED SPECIAL RECOGNITION AS IOWA'S MOST INFLUENTIAL BAND OR ORCHESTRA DIRECTOR BY SCHOOL BAND AND ORCHESTRA MAGAZINE. JOSEPH GIUNTA, THE MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR OF THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, CONDUCTS THE ADVANCED HIGH SCHOOL AGED YOUTH SYMPHONY. IT IS RARE FOR A CONDUCTOR OF A PROFESSIONAL ORCHESTRA IN A METRO AREA THE SIZE OF DES MOINES TO ALSO LEAD A STUDENT ORCHESTRA, BUT GIUNTA'S COMMITMENT TO THESE STUDENTS REFLECTS HIS LONG-STANDING COMMITMENT TO MUSIC EDUCATION. THE YOUTH WIND ENSEMBLE IS CONDUCTED BY ROBERT MEUNIER, PROFESSOR OF MUSIC AT DRAKE UNIVERSITY AND A LONG TIME MEMBER OF THE PERCUSSION SECTION OF THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY. JOSEPH GIUNTA'S LEADERSHIP LED TO A BENCHMARK IN 2003 WHEN THE DES MOINES SYMPHONY ACADEMY OPENED ITS DOORS. THIS WAS A CULMINATION OF MANY YEARS OF PLANNING AND WORKING WITH LOCAL BUSINESS LEADERS TO OFFER OUTSTANDING MUSIC EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH LESSONS, CLASSES AND PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES. IN ADDITION, THE ACADEMY HAS BEGUN A NEW BEGINNING STRINGS PROGRAM, CALLED PROJECT ENCORE, THAT IS PART OF THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM AT GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE ACADEMY HAS ALSO LAUNCHED ITS NEW PROPRIETARY KEYBOARD BASED CURRICULUM CALLED GROUP LESSONS FOR YOUNG BEGINNERS. MUSIC EDUCATION IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO PREPARE YOUNG PEOPLE FOR SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM AND BEYOND. THIS POSITIVE IMPACT EXTENDS INTO THE COMMUNITY AS THESE YOUNG PEOPLE TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLES. A CONSIDERABLE BODY OF RESEARCH SHOWS THAT STUDYING MUSIC AND LEARNING TO PLAY A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT: 1. ENHANCES COGNITIVE ABILITIES, TYPICALLY REFLECTED IN HIGHER TEST SCORES. 2. ENHANCES ABILITIES TO ASSUME SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP ROLES, BE GOOD LISTENERS AND PRODUCTIVE TEAM MEMBERS. 3. REDUCES INVOLVEMENT IN RISKY BEHAVIORS (E.G., DRUGS, ALCOHOL, VIOLENCE). THE ACADEMY OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS ON A SLIDING SCALE, MEANING NO STUDENT IS TURNED AWAY DUE TO INABILITY TO PAY TUITION. THIS MEANS THAT PRIVATE FUNDING FOR THE ACADEMY IS CRITICAL, AS TUITION COVERS ONLY ABOUT HALF OF OPERATING EXPENSES. THE ACADEMY IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING UNIQUE MUSIC EDUCATION AND INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES TO ANY YOUNG PERSON IN CENTRAL IOWA WHO EXHIBITS A DESIRE TO LEARN AND A PASSION FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC.

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