The Great Falls Symphony has announced its largest unrestricted donation in history, a $500,000 gift from longstanding patron Diane Volk and her family that will go directly to the symphony's youth orchestra programs.
According to director Hillary Shepherd, the gift comes at a critical juncture in the organization's five-year strategic planning process. "We do have a five-year strategic plan that our board voted on last season, and we're working to execute all of the tactics within it," Shepherd told me.
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The plan calls for restoring the summer symphony program, recruiting a new conductor, and strengthening the young orchestra.
The youth program, now known as the Diane & Roy Volk Youth Orchestra, supports young musicians throughout the community and has become an integral part of the symphony's outreach efforts.
"She just loves our community and is really proud of Great Falls and the people that come out of it. And she’s been a longtime patron of the symphony,” Shepherd said of Volk.
For Kyara Nelsen, director and manager of the youth orchestra, the donation represents new chances for kids. "I'm so thankful for this gift because these kids are some of the most dedicated and passionate and just warm kids that I've ever gotten to work with," added the director.
The program supports a diverse range of performers, including strings, woodwinds, percussion, and even a harpist. With numerous instruments to rent and maintain, donations are crucial to the program's sustainability.
"It sets them up to continue playing music after their high school education, as well as to augment what they're already doing in their high school classrooms," Nelsen told me.
While ticket sales only account for a small portion of the symphony's earnings, contributions like the Volks' keep the focus on music rather than cash.
The Great Falls Symphony will begin its new season on October 4 at the Mansfield Theater at 6:30 p.m., with music director candidate Ryan Tonney giving his debut performance with the orchestra.
