The Jacksonville Symphony has received a $1 million gift from the Michael Ward and Jennifer Glock Foundation.
Steven Libman, president and CEO of the Jacksonville Symphony, said the gift will help the orchestra thrive after a difficult year of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“What this gift means to us is that we have the resources to continue moving forward,” he said. “This allows us to continue to create and offer the beauty and joy of live, symphonic music to this community.”
The Jacksonville Symphony has been operating at 33% capacity during its 2020-2021 season, which Libman said had resulted in a $2.5 million drop in ticket sales.
“We’re hoping that this gift will help us balance the budget,” Libman said.
The Symphony has launched a $5 million “stabilization campaign” to help them recover from the pandemic’s financial hit. With the gift from the Michael Ward and Jennifer Glock Foundation, the symphony brings that fund to about $3 million total.
Libman added he’s been touched to see the Jacksonville community’s generosity when it comes to supporting the arts.
“We certainly hope that this gift will inspire others [to give], which is what Michael and Jennifer are hoping,” he said.
The Jacksonville Symphony is hosting its annual Patriotic Pops concert, honoring members of the military, on May 28. The final classical concert of its classical season is on June 12th.
Contact Sydney Boles at sboles@wjct.org, or on Twitter at @sydneyboles.
