TEXARKANA MONTHLY
occasion, it has been the determining factor for the decision of those entities. The Symphony is a major asset to the cities of Texarkana and enhances the musical culture with their performances. Governed by a 29-member Board of Directors, there is one full-time employee, four part-time employees, and one contractor. The mission of the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra is to pursue for all, the transformative power of symphonic music through excellence in live performance and education. Their core values are artistic and education excellence, leadership, community connection, partnership and collaboration, and economic impact with organizational viability and innovation. Besides their annual patron campaign to raise funds, private foundations provide money for the Symphony. Along with the National Endowment for the Arts federal and state grants through the Arkansas Arts Council and the Texas Commission on the Arts, they are also supported through sales tax funding for the arts of Texarkana, Arkansas and Texarkana, Texas. Community support is vital to the Symphony’s success, and they are always in need of volunteers. They accept gifts and donations of any size year-round. There are multiple ways to donate with payment options set yearly, quarterly or monthly. The TSO designs donor benefits for up close access to the music, musicians and guest artists with invitations to special events and post-concert receptions. Endowments can be made in your will to continue providing funding for a wonderful organization. The Celebrity Conductor Competition is a major fundraiser held at Christmas time. Local community members raise money by getting their friends and family to vote with dollars to achieve the coveted position of conducting the orchestra. In 2019, the board hired Music Director Philip Mann, and he has been a major asset to TSO. His resume is very impressive. He was born in Canada and elected a Rhodes Scholar, won the Vienna
Remica Gray, TSO Board Member and Volunteer Director of Operations
Mary Scott Smith, TSO Principal Pianist
Philharmonic’s Karajan Fellowship at the Salzburg Festival and named an American Conducting Fellow. As a teacher and Director of Orchestral Studies at Texas Tech University, Mann’s orchestras have become known for bold and innovative projects with superlative quality. His diverse collaborations have garnered him much praise for leveraging music’s power toward poignant conversations, enhancing the relevance of symphony orchestras to communities and successful audience development. He was the recipient of a commendation from Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and recognized for extraordinary community engagement as the winner of Arkansas’ “Communicator of the Year” and PRSA “Diamond Winner” for enhancing the image of the entire state. His Brahms collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra and pianist Norman Krieger on Decca Records has received many rave reviews. A recent 2019 recording with the Royal National Orchestra in the works of Michael Fine has garnered extensive praise and has been named to major award watch lists.
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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