Detroit Symphony Establishes Leadership Fund With Initial Commitments of Over $15 Million
At its tenth Heroes Gala and Benefit Concert, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO)announced the establishment of the Anne Parsons Leadership Fund in recognition of its late President and CEO. With initial commitments of over $15 million, the endowed fund is a new foundational pillar of the orchestra’s DSO Impact endowment campaign.
On making the announcement Saturday night, DSO President and CEO Erik Rönmark said, “The Anne Parsons Leadership Fund serves as a promise to honor and build upon Anne’slegacy. Through (this) support, the DSO will always remain deeply rooted in the cultural fabric of Detroit – committed to delivering the inspiration of music and human connection to all.”
Mr. Rönmark also thanked the initial supporters of the Anne Parsons Leadership Fund: the Mort and Brigitte Harris Foundation, James B. and Ann V. Nicholson, Linda Dresner and Ed Levy, Jr., Julie and Peter Cummings, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Wm. Fisher, Drs. David and Bernadine Wu, Shari and Craig Morgan, Penny and Harold Blumenstein, Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Alonzo, Mary Ann and Robert Gorlin, Marvin and Betty Danto Family Foundation, Margie Dunn and Mark Davidoff, Mr. David Assemany and Mr. Jeffery Zook, The Glancy Foundation, Inc., Nancy Schlichting and Pamela Theisen, Chacona and Harold Baugh, Mandell and Madeleine Berman Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Arn Tellem, and Mrs. Bonnie Larson. For more on the Anne Parsons Leadership Fund, visit dso.org/parsonsfund.
The tenth DSO Heroes Gala and Benefit Concert at Orchestra Hall on Saturday, June 18, 2022, honored Ms. Parsons alongside longtime DSO supporters and community philanthropists Linda Dresner and Ed Levy, Jr. Gala attendees enjoyed red carpet arrivals and cocktails followed by a concert and a formal dinner. Music Director Jader Bignamini conducted the program, whichincluded Pablo de Sarasate’s CarmenFantasy with Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn, Gioachino Rossini’s Overture to Semiramide, Amilcare Ponchielli’s "Dance of the Hours" from La Gioconda, Camille Saint-Saëns’s "Bacchanale" from Samson and Delilah, and Jeronimo Gimenez’s Intermezzo from La Boda de Luis Alonso. The event raised over $900,000 in support of the DSO’s music education initiatives.
The Heroes Gala was presented by honorary patrons Judy and Stanley Frankel and Ann and Jim Nicholson and sponsored by the Marjorie S. Fisher Fund, Linda Dresner and Ed Levy, Jr., Penny and Harold Blumenstein, Joanne Danto and Arnold Weingarden, DTE Foundation, Nancy and James Grosfeld, Gwen and S. Evan Weiner & the Levy Family of Companies, Terese and Paul Zlotoff, Honigman, Beaumont Health Foundation, Lauren and Phillip Fisher, Myron P. Leven Foundation, William Davidson Foundation, Applebaum Family Philanthropy, Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg, Henry Ford Health System, Bobbi and Stephen Polk, Richard and Jane Manoogian Foundation, Eleanor and Bernard Robertson, Barbara Van Dusen, and Bernadine and David Wu.
The DSO founded the Heroes Gala in 2010 in honor of the remarkable people who impact the vision, values, and success of the organization.
