In Friday’s (1/25) Buffalo Business First (New York), James Fink writes, “When the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra hits the Carnegie Hall stage in May, local leaders hope it will strike a chord with sponsors, supporters and an influential New York City crowd.” The orchestra will perform May 8 as one of five orchestras—including the National, Detroit, Baltimore, and Albany symphonies—taking part in the Spring for Music Festival May 6-11. “On one level, the BPO expects to raise between $500,000 and $600,000 in sponsorship and support dollars while also selling the bulk of Carnegie Hall’s 2,800 seats. On other levels, the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise is using the concert as a backdrop to gain valuable face time with real estate site selectors. City leaders hope the performance will encourage former residents and graduates of area colleges and private schools to see the ‘new’ Buffalo. ‘Buffalo has been doing some amazing things and seeing some amazing progress,’ said Cindy Abbott Letro, chair of the BPO’s ‘On the Road to Carnegie’ committee. … It’s the 25th time the BPO has performed at Carnegie Hall but the first since 2004.” Peter Eliopoulos, chief marketing officer of M&T Bank, a longtime BPO financial backer, comments in the article, “There’s this richness in Buffalo that a lot of people don’t know about, and this is a great way for them to learn about one of our top cultural ambassadors.”
Posted January 29, 2013
