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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JULY 2005
Baroque Orchestra Awarded $37k In New Foundation Support.
Orchestra Closes 20th Anniversary Season With Strongest Financial Position in its History.
The Lyra Baroque Orchestra was just awarded a $30K gift from the McKnight Foundation in general operating support, packaged in a two-year grant for its 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons. In addition, Lyra was awarded two general operating gifts; a $4K renewal from the James R. Thorpe Foundation and a $3K gift from an anonymous private family foundation. These gifts, combined with a highly successful year-end annual fund campaign, helped Lyra close its FY2005 season with a balanced budget and $27K available for new initiatives in FY2006.
The McKnight and Thorpe monies will support expansion of the concert season and building on educational efforts over the next two years. This will include Lyra's educational outreach initiatives started in 2004, one of which is the offering of master classes led by Lyra guest soloists and Lyra Artistic Director Jacques Ogg.
The guest soloists for 2005-2006 are once again of the highest artistic quality. They include Spanish soprano Rafaella Milanesi, recorder artists Marion Verbruggen from Holland and Clea Galhano from Brazil, flautist Wilbert Hazelzet from the Royal Conservatory in the Hague, and Vancouver, BC violinist Marc Destrube, Artistic Director of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra. All concerts are under the direction of Lyra's Artistic Director harpsichordist Jacques Ogg of the Netherlands.
In addition to supporting the season, the McKnight and Thorpe grants will be used to expand marketing and outreach initiatives aimed at growing audience awareness and support beyond its existing venues.
About Lyra
Lyra is an advocate for historically informed performances of Baroque music and is the only resident professional period instrument orchestra in the Upper Midwest. Over the past 20 years, Lyra has presented annual concert series in the Twin Cities and Rochester, bringing to the area the highest caliber Baroque experts in this country as well as in Europe and other parts of the Western hemisphere as guest soloists.
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