The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute (PYOMI) has received its largest philanthropic gift ever with a $1.5 million donation from the Walter R. Garrison Foundation, writes Peter Dobrin for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
As a result of the gift, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute has announced a new campaign to renovate and restore its home at Saint Patrick Hall near Rittenhouse Square.
Having operated in that building since 1999, the organization signed a deal with the building’s owner, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, to keep its music program there through 2050.
According to PYOMI president, CEO, and music director Louis Scaglione, its campaign goal is $4.9 million. This represents its most ambitious fundraising campaign ever.
Scaglione added that its newest gift, coupled with its new long-term building security, places it in position to pursue these ambitious projects.
The renovations coming to Saint Patrick Hall include those to its auditorium and classrooms, among other spaces. There are also plans to install a new ADA-compliant exterior entrance, and restores its brick facade, windows, doors, and roof.
“We really want it to be a hub for music education,” said Scaglione.
These renovations will all go towards an effort to make the center more widely used.
Read more about the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute’s massive gift and its plans for the future in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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