The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra has announced the conclusion of its Crescendo Campaign, which raised $13.35 million to fund its new ASO Stella Boyle Smith Music Center and added $1.6 million to the endowment to support the Symphony’s annual operations.
The 20,000-SF Stella Boyle Smith Music Center, located in Little Rock’s East Village, is the orchestra’s first permanent home in its 60-year history. The 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. It opened in September.
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,” ASO CEO Christina Littlejohn said in a press release. “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.”
The music center is located at 1101 E. Third St. in Little Rock, between Heifer International and the Clinton Presidential Library. Designed by Witsell Evans Rasco Architects and built by Bailey Construction & Consulting LLC, both of Little Rock, the music center provides space for rehearsals, classrooms and community programming, enabling the orchestra to expand its reach and better serve its audience.
“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,” Brigita Gardner, a life member of the ASO Board of Directors and Chair of the Crescendo Committee, said in the release. “This incredible achievement ensures that the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra will continue to enrich and inspire our community for generations to come.”
Sign up for Daily E-news
