Fifteen years ago, Maestra Marin Alsop, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s music director at that time, envisioned creating a vehicle for students living in Baltimore to develop their musical and socialization skills.
With the help of local noted philanthropists and founding donors Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker, that dream became a reality with the creation of OrchKids, which now works with seven city schools and serves more than 1,800 students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. OrchKids provides musical education, instruments, academic assistance, meals, mental health resources, connections to social services, as well as performance and mentorship opportunities, to students and their families at no charge.
On June 29, the BSO announced Meyerhoff and Becker will continue their ongoing commitment to OrchKids. Besides contributing to the operating funds supporting the BSO’s multi-year commitment to increase the size, compensation and quality of the orchestra — as well as to expand community-based performances throughout the city and state — Meyerhoff and Becker made a $1 million gift to establish the first OrchKids Endowment Fund within the Baltimore Symphony Endowment Trust. The objective of the gift is to support the strategic expansion of OrchKids.
“We have watched the steady growth of the OrchKids program over these past 15 years and wished to see it live on for many years to come,” said Meyerhoff. “We also hope others will join us in ensuring the program’s future with the sustaining power of an endowment.”
The OrchKids program started with 30 students at one school in 2008 and has grown to seven embedded sites in Baltimore, plus a summer home at Goucher College. Within a few years, OrchKids became a leader in the field of El Sistema music education programs across the country.
The latest Meyerhoff/Becker gift provides funding to expand the program’s scope of services, including additional program staff and teaching artists, instrument upgrades, application and tuition fees for summer music camps, as well as support for students while they matriculate through and beyond Baltimore City Public Schools.
The gift establishes the program’s first dedicated endowment fund. The OrchKids Endowment Fund will be an open fund, available to receive the support of other donors.
“I’m beyond grateful for this extraordinary gift from Bob and Rheda,” said Nick Skinner, vice president of OrchKids. “They have been with the program since its inception and have supported our mission every step of the way. This gift will set the stage for more students to join the program in the coming years as well as provide the opportunity for us to deepen our impact through the services we provide. I can’t thank Bob and Rheda enough for their continued support and investment in the youth of Baltimore!”
Noted BSO President & CEO Mark C. Hanson: “Rheda was a pioneer in the field, serving as the BSO’s narrator for more than 40 years, and as a champion for accessibility and excellence in symphonic music. In earlier years, the orchestra performed on many wonderful and adapted stages across the state, including our longstanding summer home at Oregon Ridge Park, and county-based performances through regional Symphony Societies. As we recommit ourselves to citywide, statewide, and strategic runout concerts, we are honored to recognize Bob and Rheda’s many contributions and aspirations for the orchestra.”
Over the next five years, the BSO announced every orchestra concert held beyond the walls of the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall or the Music Center at Strathmore will be recognized as a “Robert E. Meyerhoff & Rheda Becker Community Performance.” This designation begins with this summer’s season, including Star-Spangled Spectacular celebrations at Oregon Ridge Park and Rash Field, the Music for Maryland Tour, and a free Symphony in the City concert at The Urban Oasis in West Baltimore.
In addition, OrchKids will present the concluding concert of its three-week summer session at Goucher College at the Kraushaar Auditorium on July 28 at 1:30 p.m.
For information on the BSO’s summer series, visit BSOmusic.org/summer.
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