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Thursday, 8 December 2005 | Elif Sungur
Atlanta Symphony Center to be Built by Santiago Calatrava
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra announced a $5 million commitment from the Wachovia Foundation in support of the Atlanta Symphony Center, specifically to benefit the adjoining Learning Center. The gift is the first corporate capital gift to the Learning Center, is the largest gift to a Georgia-based organization in the Wachovia Foundation's history and is the Wachovia Foundation's second largest contribution to a single organization. Wachovia formally announced the gift at the "Christmas with the ASO" concert on Thursday, December 8 at 8 p.m. in Symphony Hall.
"The new ASO learning center will benefit generations of Georgians, and funding for education and the arts are priorities for Wachovia's charitable giving programs. That is why Wachovia is thrilled to help fund the Atlanta Symphony Center's world-class music and arts education facility," said Thomas H. Coley, head of Wachovia's Southern Banking Group. "And the benefit does not stop at our borders. The Atlanta Symphony Learning Center will be a catalyst for new technology and education that will enhance the work of students, composers, producers, vocalists and musicians from around the world."
The Learning Center will greatly expand the ASO's contribution to music education in three ways: with interactive learning on-site; "virtual" music education accessibility to any classroom or student; and with a continuing education center for teachers statewide which includes new classroom and performance space for teachers and students at all levels. Additionally, the Symphony Center's state-of-the-art technology and acoustics will create a world class venue with a high-tech laboratory for graduate students and a unique incubator for testing, implementing and marketing new ideas and inventions in music technology.
In recognition and celebration of Wachovia's leadership investment in education, the premier welcome gateway for education at Symphony Center will be named the "Wachovia Commons at the ASO Learning Center". Throughout Wachovia's history, the company has been a leader in supporting ASO programs, including the popular Classic Chastain concerts, where it has been an anchor presenting sponsor for an extraordinary 24 years.
"We are grateful to Wachovia for their leadership role in taking the next step in making the Symphony Center a reality," said Allison Vulgamore, ASO's President & Managing Director. "Wachovia's corporate leadership understands the Learning Center's importance for music education in Georgia and this gift is a further testimony to their commitment to our community's youth." The Symphony Center design, by the award-winning architect, artist and engineer Santiago Calatrava, was unveiled to the public in February 2005. Located at 14th and Peachtree Streets in Midtown Atlanta, the Center will be a vibrant civic and economic resource and architectural icon for Atlanta and the State of Georgia: a "postcard" image recognized around the world. With a goal of $300 million, the Atlanta Symphony Center Campaign is the most ambitious fundraising effort in the ASO's history and the largest capital campaign ever undertaken by an arts organization in the Southeast. The Wachovia contribution brings the total raised for the Symphony Center to $103 million. The campaign now includes $60 million in board and campaign leadership support; $23 million in corporate support and $8.1 million in public support. "We understood the record-breaking levels of community investment required to make this project a reality and we are thrilled that Wachovia has joined as our third corporate Cornerstone Partner, bringing the total to eight leadership gifts of $5 million or more," stated Vulgamore.
"Wachovia is one of Georgia's leading corporate citizens and a company that employs 7,000 people in Georgia," Coley said. "We are proud that we can take a leadership role in funding the Atlanta Symphony Center-a project that will benefit business, economic development and the quality of life in our city and state."
About Wachovia
Wachovia serves 78 Georgia communities through more than 320 financial centers and 770 ATMs. Atlanta is Headquarters for Wachovia's Southern Banking Group (Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas) and its national Real Estate Financial Services franchise. Wachovia Corporation (NYSE:WB) is one of the largest providers of financial services to retail, brokerage and corporate customers, with banking operations from Connecticut to Florida and west to Texas, and retail brokerage operations nationwide. Wachovia had assets of $532.4 billion, market capitalization of $73.9 billion and stockholders' equity of $46.8 billion at September 30, 2005.
About the Wachovia Foundation
The Wachovia Foundation is a private foundation that is funded annually by Wachovia Corporation. The Wachovia Foundation's mission is to build strong and vibrant communities, improve the quality of life, and make a positive difference where we work and live.The foundation provides grants to eligible 501© (3) tax-exempt organizations intwo primary and two secondary focus areas:
About the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
As the largest orchestra in the Southeastern United States, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is also one of the youngest American orchestras to achieve international prominence. The ASO is led by the innovative creative team of Music Director Robert Spano and Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles. Now in its 61st season, the ASO performs a year-round slate of more than 250 concerts annually, including a 72-concert classical season and related series at Atlanta Symphony Hall, and a full schedule of educational, neighborhood and Free Parks concerts. The Atlanta Symphony is also one of the nation's top forty promoters of popular music with the summer pops series at Chastain Park Amphitheater. The ASO presents to live audiences totaling close to 500,000 annually.
The ASO has a long-established presence throughout Georgia having presented over 300 concerts in 50 venues with its Around Georgia touring program and with weekly GPB broadcasts to every community in Georgia. The ASO also represents Georgia internationally with over 100 recordings and 23 Grammy Awards and through national and international performances and tours.
The ASO is committed to serving its evolving community through concerts, classroom instruction, individual mentoring and coaching, professional development for teachers, and events for families. The orchestra supports 200 young musicians annually through the acclaimed Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and the nationally unique Talent Development Program, an intensive training program for talented African-American and Latino music students. More than 45,000 students attend the ASO education programs each year from across the State.
About the Atlanta Symphony Center
Designed by world-renowned architect, artist and engineer Santiago Calatrava, the Atlanta Symphony Center will provide the first dedicated concert hall and educational facility in the 61-year history of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The building-a key element in the evolving campus expansion of the Woodruff Arts Center-will create a vital civic and economic resource for Atlanta, and an exciting modern symbol of the State of Georgia: a "postcard" image recognized around the world. The steel and glass structure is terraced in layout and remarkably light and transparent. The audience configuration, with 2,200 seats surrounding the Orchestra, provides intimacy between the performers and the audience. The ceiling height can be adjusted to customize acoustics for varied performances. Two other performances spaces-a Rehearsal Hall and a Studio Hall-provide seating for 300-350 and 300 persons, respectively. Rising from behind the structure and then swooping down are two "feathers" of delicate, lattice-like steel and movable steel "wings" of a sunscreen will open and close over the soaring upper lobby.
About the Woodruff Arts Center
The largest center in the United States for the performing and visual arts, the Woodruff Arts Center opened in 1968 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the High Museum of Art and Atlanta College of Art as founding members. The Alliance Theater was added in 1970 and Young Audiences of Atlanta in 2005. This unique combination of major institutions now draws more than one million visitors each year. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's expansion of the Woodruff's South Campus through the creation of Atlanta Symphony Center will be preceded in November 2005 by the major expansion of the North Campus, with the opening of a new "village of the arts" designed by architect Renzo Piano. When completed, the expanded campus will feature architectural statements by Joseph Amisano, Richard Meier, Renzo Piano and Santiago Calatrava.
For more information, please visit http://www.atlantasymphonycenter.org/
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