CLEVELAND — Thursday was a milestone day in the illustrious history of the Cleveland Orchestra.
The 103-year-old music organization announced that it will receive a $50 million grant from the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Foundation. The grant is the largest gift in the orchestra's history.
In a release, the Cleveland Orchestra says $31.5 million will be dedicated to its endowment, the orchestra’s financial foundation and supporting an opera and humanities festival. Other funds in the grant will go toward supporting and expanding the orchestra’s programs and partnerships.
In appreciation for the donation, the Cleveland Orchestra is naming its main performance space the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Concert Hall. Severance Hall, the orchestra’s home since 1931 and named after John L. Severance, will be renamed the Severance Music Center. The center also includes Reinberger Chamber Hall.
“This unprecedented gift lays the groundwork for The Cleveland Orchestra’s second century, supporting our long-term capacity to offer extraordinary musical performances and inspiring programs while transforming our ability to reach audiences far beyond the physical limits of our building. Like the Orchestra, the Mandel Foundation combines a global outlook with a deep commitment to the Cleveland community. We will forever be grateful to the Foundation for its extraordinary generosity," said André Gremillet, president & CEO of The Cleveland Orchestra.
The grant to the Cleveland Orchestra is also the largest in the Mandel Foundation’s 68-year history.
“The Mandel Foundation has made this grant because of the Mandel brothers’ deep commitment to the vitality of Cleveland and a belief in the value of the humanities to shape an enriched spirit of life," added Dr. Jehuda Reinharz, President and CEO of the Mandel Foundation, and Stephen H. Hoffman, Chairman. The world-class level of music of The Cleveland Orchestra is the embodiment of both, and with this gift we hope to help ensure that it will be available for generations to come.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story
More Headlines: