Arkansas Symphony Orchestra surpasses $13 million in capital campaign
by January 25, 2025 3:13 pm 241 views
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO) announced the conclusion of its Crescendo Campaign, which raised $13.35 million to fund its new ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center, which opened in September, and add $1.6 million to the endowment to support the Symphony’s annual operations.
The 20,000-square-foot Stella Boyle Smith Music Center, located in Little Rock’s East Village, is the orchestra’s first permanent home in its 60-year history. This state-of-the-art facility houses the E. Lee Ronnel Music Academy, a broadcast and recording studio, ASO staff offices, and the River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series.
“The completion of the Crescendo Campaign is a testament to the passion and generosity of our supporters who believe in the transformative power of music,” said Brigita Gardner, a life member of the ASO Board of Directors and chair of the Crescendo Committee. “This incredible achievement ensures that the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra will continue to enrich and inspire our community for generations to come.”
Among the final gifts to the campaign was $500,000 from the Windgate Foundation, which had previously donated a $1.5 million two-to-one challenge grant for construction of the music center. The campaign, which began in July 2019, raised $11.75 million to pay for the music center and $1.6 million for the endowment.
More than 200 donors contributed to the campaign, including ASO musicians, staff and board members.
Major donors include The Stella Boyle Smith Trust, Susie and Charles Morgan, Gus Vratsinas, Terri and Chuck Erwin, Pat Becker and Jim Wallis, the Windgate Foundation, E. Lee Ronnel, Simmons Bank, and the state of Arkansas.
“This campaign is a defining moment for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and for music in our state,” said ASO CEO Christina Littlejohn. “The ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center represents our commitment to making music accessible to all Arkansans, and we are deeply grateful to the many people and organizations who made this dream a reality. I want to thank the Windgate Foundation for its second major gift to this project. And I want to congratulate Brigita and the entire Crescendo Committee for their outstanding leadership and dedication. Their efforts have profoundly strengthened the financial foundation of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and its impact on the Little Rock and Arkansas community.”
The ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center is located at 1101 E. Third St. in Little Rock, between Heifer International and the Clinton Presidential Library, further enhancing the cultural vibrancy of Little Rock’s East Village.
Designed by Witsell Evans Rasco Architects and built by Bailey Construction & Consulting LLC, both of Little Rock, the music center represents a collaborative effort to create a world-class music facility in Arkansas. The new facility provides space for rehearsals, classrooms and community programming, enabling the orchestra to expand its reach and better serve its audience.