The Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra is once again the recipient of a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. For the third year in a row, the Orchestra was invited to apply for the Challenge America: Reaching Every Community Invitational Initiative and recently learned of their success in securing the grant.

This year, the Orchestra was awarded this highly-prized grant based on a new initiative called Symphony Sundays at Stafford. This project will feature three special Sunday afternoon programs at the Stafford Centre, designed to appeal to a wide range of audience members. Each concert will showcase one well-known symphonic work, which will provide the basis for the afternoon’s educational efforts. Concert themes range from a Spanish flavor to cowboy music to a trip to Italy. Pre-concert sessions, known as the Tune In Program, will allow interaction between members of the audience and the symphony, with a focus on educational activities and an introduction to classical music and instruments.

Sina Thompson, Grants Coordinator and Project Director for the Orchestra, has been busily planning the Tune In sessions with the Orchestra’s Educational Committee, a group that consists mainly of educators, to ensure that adults and children alike will find a variety of creative and interesting sessions to attend. “I am very excited about our new educational initiative this season,” said Ms. Thompson, “the 'Tune In' Program will give the audience an opportunity to learn more about the world of classical music, enhancing the overall symphony experience.”

The Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, a vital ingredient of the cultural life of this area, is excited about the new horizons ahead as they continue to grow and energize the community. This fall marks the Orchestra’s 15th Season in Fort Bend County and the 10th Anniversary of Dr. John Ricarte, Musical Director and Conductor.

To learn more about the Orchestra, please visit www.fbso.org or contact us by phone at 281-276-9642.

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