2024/25 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Founded by R. Crosby Kemper, Jr. in 1982

Board of Trustees established in 1983

OFFICERS

Linda Gill Taylor, Chair

Kenneth V. Hager,

Vice Chair and Secretary/Treasurer

Michael M. Gentry, Vice Chair

Jeff Hargroves, Vice Chair

Marny Sherman, Vice Chair

Directors

Dr. Scott S. Boswell Sr.

Grant Burcham

Susan Chambers

Dr. Valerie Chow

Timothy P. Cook

Shannon Finney

Bebe Kemper Hunt

Julian Kaplan

Joe LeFevre

Jill Marchant

Susan Newburger

Willy F. Pegues IV

Linda S. Stevens

Ursula Terrasi

Patrick A. Valadez

Jesse Yukimura

Ex-Officio

Shirley Bush Helzberg, Chair Emerita

Daniel E. Beckley, President and CEO

PAST BOARD chairs

Paul H. Henson † 1983-85

R. Crosby Kemper, Jr. † 1985-87

Paul H. Henson † 1987-88

George E. Powell, Jr. † 1988-90

David W. Hunerberg 1990-95

Shirley Bush Helzberg 1995-2013

William M. Lyons 2013-19

Patrick McCown 2019-23

FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Christine Kemper, President

Julia Irene Dennie-Kauffman, Vice President

Russell W. Baker, Jr., Secretary/Treasurer

Emily Hill

David Powell

Chris Schumm

Linda S. Stevens, Auxiliary Representative

Lori Feek, Foundation Coordinator

FOUNDING DIRECTORS

IN MEMORIAM

Henry W. Bloch

George C. Dillon

Donald J. Hall

R. Crosby Kemper, Jr.

George A. Russell

Richard J. Stern

William N. Deramus III

James H. Hale

Paul H. Henson

George E. Powell, Jr.

Richard H. Spencer

† In memoriam

TABLE OF CONTENTS

20 Orchestra Roster

27 CODY FRY WITH THE KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY

28 Luke Poeppel, David T. Beals III Assistant Conductor

29 About Cody Fry

31 Sonic Time Travel with PROJECT Trio

32 About PROJECT Trio

37 HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON™ IN CONCERT

38 Nicholas Buc, guest conductor

42 John Powell, composer

45 BEN FOLDS WITH THE KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY

46 Daniel Wiley, David T. Beals III Assistant Conductor

47 About Ben Folds

57 About the Kansas City Symphony

58 Symphony Society

62 Foundations & Organizations

63 Corporate Contributors

64 Corporate Matching

74 General Information

76 Kauffman Center Safety and Security

EXECUTIVE

Danny Beckley, President and CEO

Young Young Wang, Assistant to the President

AJ Harbison, Content Developer and

Executive Support Specialist

OPERATIONS

Kate Breytspraak,

Director of Artistic Administration

Stephanie Brimhall, Director of Education

and Community Engagement

Justin White, Director of Orchestra Personnel

Elena Collins, Assistant Personnel Manager

Jenna Dolinger, Production Manager

Jackie Esquivel, Orchestra Operations Assistant

Annie McPherson,

Artist Liaison and Assistant to the Music Director

Tyler Miller, Stage Manager

Patrick Chamberlain, Artistic Advisor

Patrice Sollenberger, Assistant Chorus Director

PHILANTHROPY

Christina Tatum,

Interim Vice President of Philanthropy

Megan Hanna, Director of Philanthropy

Mark Laverentz,

Manager of Corporate Partnerships

Daniel Morel, Donor Relations Manager

Marcy Osburn, Donor Information Specialist

Nathan Shields, Manager of Leadership Giving

Paul Berlinsky, Philanthropy Operations Associate

Roslinde Rivera,

Donor Engagement and Events Associate

Finance AND HR

Sara Lohe, Chief Financial Officer

Cynthia Parish, Accounting Manager

Toni Stock, Senior Accountant

SALES & MARKETING

Karen Brunke, Interim Chief Marketing

and Experience Officer

Rupal Gor, Vice President of Sales,

PR and Partnerships

Zane Champie, Group Director of Marketing

and Creative Content

Brandon Bamesberger,

Video Production Director

Austin Fransisco,

Digital Content Specialist

Hannah Goodwin,

Digital Marketing Manager

Clare Nunley, Graphic Designer

Stephen Borodkin,

Manager of Ticketing Services

Nora Kerwin, Receptionist and

Office Coordinator

Sarah Burt,

Customer Relations Representative

Adeca Chareunsab,

Customer Relations Representative

Catherine Cone,

Customer Relations Representative

Ashley Cypher,

Customer Relations Representative

Will Landon,

Customer Relations Representative

Sarah Martin,

Customer Relations Representative

ORCHESTRA ROSTER

Matthias Pintscher, Music Director

FIRST VIOLINS

Jun Iwasaki, Concertmaster

Miller Nichols Chair

Stirling Trent,

Associate Concertmaster

Sunho Kim,

Assistant Concertmaster

Anne-Marie Brown

Michael Brown

Betty Chen

Anthony DeMarco

Susan Goldenberg*

Tomoko Iguchi

Dorris Dai Janssen

Aaron You-Xin Li^

Chiafei Lin

Vladimir Rykov

Alex Shum*

SECOND VIOLINS

Tamamo Someya Gibbs, Principal

Carter Coleman,

Associate Principal

Kristin Velicer,

Assistant Principal

Minhye Helena Choi

Mary Garcia Grant

Kazato Inouye

Rena Ishii

Paul Kim

Stephanie Larsen

Jinyou Lee

Sodam Lim

Ayrton Pisco^

VIOLAS

MingYu Hsu, Principal

Duncan Steele, Associate Principal

Jessica Nance, Assistant Principal

Kent Brauninger

Sean Brumble

Marvin Gruenbaum

Jenifer Houck

Duke Lee

Jesse Yukimura

CELLOS

Mark Gibbs, Principal

Robert A. Kipp Chair

Susie Yang, Associate Principal Richard Hill Chair

Alexander East, Assistant Principal

Maria Crosby

John Eadie

Lawrence Figg

Sally Kim^

Meredith McCook

Allen Probus

DOUBLE BASSES

Evan Halloin, Acting Principal

Richard Ryan,

Acting Associate Principal

Nils Aardahl

Lena GoodsonΔ

Joseph Nuñez

Keith WymerΔ

FLUTES

Michael Gordon, Principal

Marylou and John Dodds

Turner Chair

Shannon Finney, Associate Principal

Alejandro LomboΔ

Kayla Burggraf‡

PICCOLO

Alejandro LomboΔ

Kayla Burggraf‡

OBOES

Kristina Fulton, Principal

Shirley Bush Helzberg Chair

Alison Chung, Associate Principal

Matthew Lengas

ENGLISH HORN

Matthew Lengas

CLARINETS

Raymond Santos, Principal

Bill and Peggy Lyons Chair

Trevor StewartΔ,

Acting Associate Principal

John Klinghammer

E-FLAT CLARINET

Trevor StewartΔ

BASS CLARINET

John Klinghammer

BASSOONS

Ann Bilderback, Principal

Barton P. and Mary D. Cohen Chair

Thomas DeWitt,

Associate Principal

Maxwell Pipinich

CONTRABASSOON

Thomas DeWitt

HORNS

David Sullivan, Acting Principal

Landon and Sarah Rowland Chair

Elizabeth Gray,

Acting Associate Principal

David Gamble

Stephen Multer,

Associate Principal Emeritus

Benjamin BacniΔ

TRUMPETS

Julian Kaplan, Principal

James B. and Annabel

Nutter Chair

Shea KelsayΔ,

Acting Associate Principal

Hyojoon ParkΔ

George Goad‡

TROMBONES

Evelyn Carlson, Principal

Porter Wyatt Henderson,

Associate Principal

Jahleel SmithΔ

BASS TROMBONE

Jahleel SmithΔ

TUBA

Joe LeFevre, Principal

Frank Byrne Chair

TIMPANI

Timothy Jepson, Principal

Michael and Susan Newburger Chair

PERCUSSION

David Yoon, Acting Principal

Justin OchoaΔ,

Acting Associate Principal

Adrian and Nancy Kay Hertog Family Chair

HARP

Katie VenturaΔ, Acting Principal

LIBRARIANS

Elena Lence Talley, Principal

Fabrice Curtis, Associate Principal

DAVID T. BEALS III

ASSISTANT CONDUCTORS

Luke Poeppel

Daniel Wiley

Justin White,

Director of Orchestra Personnel

Elena Collins,

Assistant Personnel Manager

Tyler Miller,

Stage Manager

Mark Watson,

Assistant Stage Manager

Kristina Banton,

Lighting Designer

* Non-Rotating Musician

^ New Member

‡ On Leave of Absence

Δ One-Year Member

Cody Fry with the

Kansas City Symphony

Friday, February 28, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Luke Poeppel, David T. Beals III Assistant Conductor

Cody Fry, piano, vocals, orchestrator

Steve Goold, auxiliary percussion

Selections will be announced from the stage.

There will be an intermission.

The 2024/25 season is generously sponsored by

Shirley and Barnett C. Helzberg, Jr.

ABOUT LUKE POEPPEL

Luke Poeppel, David T. Beals III Assistant Conductor

Luke Poeppel is an American-German conductor based in Rochester, New York. He is a recent master’s degree graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where he studied conducting with Brad Lubman. As assistant conductor of the Musica Nova Ensemble, he has led works by Knussen, Abrahamsen, Davies, Webern, Lindberg, Manoury, and more; he also conducted the U.S. premiere of Hannah Kendall’s shouting forever into the receiver. Poeppel was one of two conductors selected for Ensemble Modern’s 2023/24 International Composer and Conductor Seminars Young Professionals program, culminating in a performance in Frankfurt at the cresc… festival. This past summer, he conducted the Orchestra of the League of Composers and the Exceptet Ensemble on their northeast tour. Previously, he served as conducting fellow of both the soundSCAPE festival and the Mostly Modern Festival, as well as music director of Rochester Summer Opera. Poeppel has served as a cover/assistant conductor for Ensemble Signal, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Orchestra of the League of Composers, and the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra. 

As a collaborative pianist, Poeppel has played for Ensemble Contemporaneous, Mostly Modern Festival, OSSIA New Music Ensemble, and Eastman Opera Theater. Passionate about opera, he has served as an assistant conductor and/or pianist for Robert Paterson’s In Real Life I and II and Extraordinary, Alex Weiser’s The Great Dictionary of the Yiddish Language, and numerous productions at Eastman Opera Theater (Lear on the 2nd Floor, Florencia en el Amazonas, We’ve Got Our Eye on You, Dido and Aeneas, Ariadne auf Naxos, The Telephone, and Dialogues of the Carmelites).

Poeppel received a bachelor’s degree from New York University in 2022. Outside of performance, he worked as a research assistant at the Frankfurt-based Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics between 2020 and 2022 in the Computational Auditory Perception group. During this time, he completed a study on computational techniques for rhythmic search and annotation in the context of Olivier Messiaen’s transcriptions of birdsong.

ABOUT CODY FRY

Cody Fry

Cody Fry’s music sounds like the moment in your favorite old flick when the film changes from black-and-white to technicolor in a rush of emotion. As his orchestration booms, you practically expect a Golden-Age romance to unfold to the narration of his vocals. It’s warm enough to make you nostalgic, but Cody always looks forward as a singer, songwriter, composer, producer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist. It’s why he’s quietly emerged as a phenomenon with hundreds of millions of streams, hundreds of thousands of TikTok creations and widespread acclaim. Along the way he’s picked up two GRAMMY® Award nominations and an RIAA Certified Gold record and sold out countless shows. You can keep up with Cody’s musical journey at codyfry.com or on social media.

ABOUT CODY FRY

Cody Fry’s music sounds like the moment in your favorite old flick when the film changes from black-and-white to technicolor in a rush of emotion. As his orchestration booms, you practically expect a Golden-Age romance to unfold to the narration of his vocals. It’s warm enough to make you nostalgic, but Cody always looks forward as a singer, songwriter, composer, producer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist. It’s why he’s quietly emerged as a phenomenon with hundreds of millions of streams, hundreds of thousands of TikTok creations and widespread acclaim. Along the way he’s picked up two GRAMMY® Award nominations and an RIAA Certified Gold record and sold out countless shows. You can keep up with Cody’s musical journey at codyfry.com or on social media.

FAMILY SERIES

Sonic Time Travel with PROJECT Trio

Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 2 p.m.

Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Luke Poeppel, David T. Beals III Associate Conductor

For Luke Poeppel's bio, please see page 28.

Greg Pattillo, flute

Daniel Berkey, saxophone

Peter Seymour, double bass

Leonard Bernstein/Peress Overture to West Side Story

Bernstein/PROJECT Trio “Mambo” from West Side Story

W. A. Mozart/PROJECT Trio “Rondo alla Turca”

Johannes Brahms/PROJECT Trio Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor

Edvard Grieg/PROJECT Trio “In the Hall of the Mountain King”

PROJECT Trio/Hyken Djangish

Charlie Parker/PROJECT Trio Yardbird Suite

J. S. Bach/Tull/Feigenbaum Bourrée

John Williams Star Wars Suite for Orchestra

I. Main Title

PROJECT Trio/Sam Hyken The Bodega

Gioachino Rossini/PROJECT Trio/ Overture to Guillaume Tell (William Tell)

Peter Seymour

The 2024/25 season is generously sponsored by

Shirley and Barnett C. Helzberg, Jr.

ABOUT PROJECT TRIO

Combining the virtuosity of world-class artists with the energy of rock stars, PROJECT Trio is breaking down traditional ideas of chamber music. Blending their classical training with an eclectic taste in musical styles, they make an immediate impact on audiences of all ages. The genre-defying Trio is acclaimed by the press as “packed with musicianship, joy and surprise” and “exciting a new generation of listeners about the joys of classical and jazz music.”

Film + Live Orchestra

How to Train Your Dragon™ in Concert

Friday, March 7, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 2 p.m.

Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Nicholas Buc, guest conductor

JOHN POWELL

How to Train Your Dragon

Act I

Intermission

Act II

The 2024/25 season is generously sponsored by

Shirley and Barnett C. Helzberg, Jr.

ABOUT NICHOLAS BUC

Nicholas Buc, guest conductor

Nicholas Buc is an award-winning composer, conductor and arranger with a distinguished career in both film and concert music. He studied composition under Brenton Broadstock and Dr. Stuart Greenbaum at the University of Melbourne, earning the inaugural Fellowship of Australian Composers Award. Nicholas furthered his education with a master’s degree in Scoring for Film and Multimedia from New York University, where he was honored with the Elmer Bernstein Award for Film Scoring.

His compositions have been showcased at festivals and theaters across Australia, Asia and the United States. In November 2022, the Melbourne Youth Orchestra premiered his Trumpet Concerto, commissioned by Josh Rogan. His 100-minute oratorio, Origins, premiered to a sold-out audience at Melbourne Recital Hall in July 2023. Recently, he scored the Australian feature film Slant (2022) and the Ukrainian documentary Slava (2023).

Nicholas has collaborated with renowned artists and ensembles, including Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, Chris Botti, Amanda Palmer, Ben Folds and the Cat Empire. He has served as conductor and arranger for Tina Arena on six Australian tours and has created arrangements for Birds of Tokyo, Lake Street Dive, Missy Higgins, The Avalanches, Eskimo Joe, The Whitlams and Vera Blue. His television work includes “Junior MasterChef” (2020), five seasons of “The Voice Australia” and the 2021 Australian Football League Grand Final.

Highly sought after for live film concerts, Nicholas has conducted the world premieres of major films, including “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Shrek 2,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” and “Field of Dreams.”

The 2024/25 season will see the North American premiere of his children’s work, Daughter of the Inner Stars, with the Vancouver Symphony. This season also features exciting debut engagements with the Chicago Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Toronto Symphony, Kansas City Symphony and Auckland Philharmonic, along with reappearances with the Seattle Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, Hawai’i Symphony and Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as all the Australian symphony orchestras.

FILM CONCERTS LIVE! PRODUCTION CREDITS

Kansas City Symphony
Friday, March 7, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 2 p.m.

Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center

for the Performing Arts

NICHOLAS BUC, guest conductor

DREAMWORKS ANIMATION PRESENTS

“How to Train Your Dragon”

MUSIC BY JOHN POWELL

BASED ON THE BOOK BY CRESSIDA COWELL

SCREENPLAY BY WILL DAVIES AND DEAN DEBLOIS & CHRIS SANDERS

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

KRISTINE BELSON, TIM JOHNSON

PRODUCED BY

BONNIE ARNOLD

DIRECTED BY

CHRIS SANDERS & DEAN DEBLOIS

Tonight's program is a presentation of the complete film How To Train Your Dragon with a live performance of the film’s entire score, including music played by the orchestra during the end credits. Out of respect for the musicians and your fellow audience members, please remain seated until the conclusion of the music.

How To Train Your Dragon © 2010 DreamWorks Animation LLC.

All Rights Reserved.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

How To Train Your Dragon in Concert is produced by Film Concerts Live!, a joint venture of IMG Artists, LLC and The Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, Inc.

Producers: Steven A. Linder and Jamie Richardson

Director of Operations: Rob Stogsdill

Production Manager: Sophie Greaves

Production Assistant: Katherine Miron

Worldwide Representation: IMG Artists, LLC

Technical Director: Mike Runice

Music Composed by John Powell

Music Preparation: Jo Ann Kane Music Service

Film Preparation for Concert Performance: Ramiro Belgardt, Epilogue Media

Technical Consultant: Laura Gibson

Sound Remixing for Concert Performance: Chace Audio by Deluxe

The score for How To Train Your Dragon has been adapted for live concert performance.

With special thanks to: Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, Bonnie Arnold, Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois, John Powell, Chris DeFaria, Michael Silver, Patrick Koors, Tammy Olsen, Lawrence Liu, Chuck Nilsen, Mike Pastrano, Thomas Schroder, Tanya Perra, Chris Herzberger, Noah Bergman, Jason Jackowski, Heather Oster,

Jen Ockelmann-Wagner, Alex Levy, Mark Graham, Matt Voogt, Bethany Brinton

and the musicians and staff of the Kansas City Symphony.

www.filmconcertslive.com

ABOUT JOHN POWELL

John Powell, composer

A native of London, John Powell was an accomplished violinist as a child, wrote music for commercials out of school and assisted composer Patrick Doyle in the early 1990s. He moved to the U.S. in 1997, where he worked on numerous projects for Hans Zimmer and his film music company, Remote Control. He co-wrote the score for “Antz” with Harry Gregson-Williams, and quickly became one of the most desirable, versatile and exciting composers in in Los Angeles.

Powell was catapulted into the realm of A-list composers by displaying an entirely original voice with his oft-referenced scores to the first installment of Matt Damon’s Bourne trilogy, “The Bourne Identity” from 2002. He has become the go-to writer for family animated films, scoring such hits as “Shrek” (co-written with Harry Gregson-Williams), “Chicken Run” (co-written with Harry Gregson-Williams), “Ice Age: The Meltdown,” “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” “Bolt,” “Rio,” “Happy Feet,” “Happy Feet Two” and the two first installments of “Kung Fu Panda” (co-written with Hans Zimmer). His pulsating action music has provided the fuel for “Hancock,” “Green Zone,” “Stop Loss,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “The Italian Job.” His music has also sweetened the romance of “Two Weeks Notice” and “P.S.: I Love You.” In 2006 his music empowered “X-Men: The Last Stand” and lent tenderness to “I Am Sam” and gripping, real-time drama to “United 93.”

His infectious score for “How to Train Your Dragon” earned him his first Academy Award® nomination. Powell has also lent his voice to the scores of Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax,” “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” “Rio 2,” directed by Carlos Saldanha, and DreamWorks’ “How To Train Your Dragon 2.” His work can be found in Warner Bros.’ “Pan” starring Hugh Jackman, Universal Pictures’ action-thriller “Jason Bourne” starring Matt Damon, Fox’s Oscar®-nominated animated feature “Ferdinand,” and Disney’s highly anticipated “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” directed by Ron Howard, which gave him the opportunity to collaborate with John Williams.

Most recently, Powell’s music can be heard in the critically acclaimed final installment of DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” directed by Dean DeBlois.

In addition to his numerous film scores of all genres, Powell has also written concert works for choir and orchestra. A selection of these has been released in June of last year with the album “Hubris: Choral Works by John Powell,” including his deeply moving work, A Prussian Requiem.

Ben Folds with the Kansas City Symphony

Tuesday and Wednesday, March 18-19, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Daniel Wiley, David T. Beals III Assistant Conductor

Ben Folds, piano and vocals

Selections will be announced from the stage.

There will be an intermission.

The 2024/25 season is generously sponsored by

Shirley and Barnett C. Helzberg, Jr.

Guest artist Ben Folds is sponsored by

Dr. Angela and Mr. Patrick Valadez

ABOUT DANIEL WILEY

Daniel Wiley, David T. Beals III Assistant Conductor

Daniel Wiley has quickly become a notable young conductor on the rise, having made guest appearances with the Cincinnati Ballet, Toledo Symphony, Orchestra Iowa, Ballet Quad Cities, Salisbury Symphony, Windsor (Ontario) Symphony Orchestra, Windsor Abridged Opera, London (Ontario) Symphonia, Boise Philharmonic, Abilene Philharmonic, Denali Chamber Orchestra, Meridian Symphony, Equilibrium Ensemble (Italy), and the University of North Florida Opera. He currently serves as assistant conductor for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops and as David T. Beals III Assistant Conductor for the Kansas City Symphony.

Prior to his tenure in Cincinnati, Wiley held numerous conducting posts, including assistant conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony, music director of the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras, associate conductor of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestras, music director of the Windsor Symphony Community Orchestra, wind ensemble conductor at the School of Creative Arts at the University of Windsor, education conductor/consultant for London Symphonia, conductor for the Windsor Abridged Opera Company, music director of Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science Youth Orchestra, and assistant conductor for the Meridian Symphony Orchestra.

During the pandemic, Wiley was instrumental in expanding the Windsor Symphony’s educational footprint by creating a digital education concert series that includes 12 hours of interactive music curriculum for schools. This lauded program was recognized by the Ontario Provincial Parliament as an example of how an orchestra can change lives through music, even during a time of unprecedented uncertainty. To date, this program has served more than 200,000 students across the United States and Canada.

In 2019, Wiley was the second prize recipient of both the Smoky Mountain International Conducting Institute and Competition and the Los Angeles International Conducting Competition. Wiley has also spent time conducting new music ensembles, including for the Musicbed Music and Film Corporation based in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as participating in the Composing in the Wilderness program as part of the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival in Fairbanks, Alaska. Through this program, Wiley has conducted numerous world premieres in Denali National Park.

As a former public-school music teacher, Wiley has a unique passion for music education, and frequently donates his time as a guest clinician to support students and teachers in music programs across North America.

ABOUT BEN FOLDS

Ben Folds is widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of our generation.

The Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter-composer has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums and numerous collaborative records.

His latest pop solo album “What Matters Most” was released in 2023 to rave reviews and sold-out performances. He recently released his first Christmas album, “Sleigher,” in time for the 2024 holiday season, and recently record a live album with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in D.C. slated for release in 2025.

He currently tours as a pop artist, while also performing with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras and serving in his eighth year as the first-ever Artistic Advisor to the NSO. In his role as Artistic Advisor, Folds curates an ongoing concert series called “Declassified: Ben Folds Presents,” which pairs contemporary artists from all genres of music with the NSO.

A New York Times bestselling author and former podcast host, Ben is also working on new compositions for film, TV and theatre. He also frequently guest stars in films and TV.

In 2022, Ben launched a music education charitable initiative in his native state of North Carolina entitled “Keys For Kids,” which provides funds and keyboards to existing nonprofits that offer free or affordable piano lessons to school-age children from economically disadvantaged households. And he continually advocates for improving public policies for the arts and arts education on the national level as a member of Americans For The Arts and the Arts Action Fund.

ABOUT BEN FOLDS

Ben Folds is widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of our generation.

The Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter-composer has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums and numerous collaborative records.

His latest pop solo album “What Matters Most” was released in 2023 to rave reviews and sold-out performances. He recently released his first Christmas album, “Sleigher,” in time for the 2024 holiday season, and recently record a live album with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in D.C. slated for release in 2025.

He currently tours as a pop artist, while also performing with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras and serving in his eighth year as the first-ever Artistic Advisor to the NSO. In his role as Artistic Advisor, Folds curates an ongoing concert series called “Declassified: Ben Folds Presents,” which pairs contemporary artists from all genres of music with the NSO.

A New York Times bestselling author and former podcast host, Ben is also working on new compositions for film, TV and theatre. He also frequently guest stars in films and TV.

In 2022, Ben launched a music education charitable initiative in his native state of North Carolina entitled “Keys For Kids,” which provides funds and keyboards to existing nonprofits that offer free or affordable piano lessons to school-age children from economically disadvantaged households. And he continually advocates for improving public policies for the arts and arts education on the national level as a member of Americans For The Arts and the Arts Action Fund.

ABOUT THE KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY

In only its 42nd season, the Kansas City Symphony has already become one of America’s most vibrant major orchestras and has gained national and international recognition. With the 2024/25 season, the Symphony welcomes conductor and composer Matthias Pintscher as its new music director. Pintscher regularly conducts many of the world’s best orchestras and opera companies and ranks as one of the world’s foremost composers of orchestral music.

Continually creating live music experiences in Helzberg Hall, located in the prestigious Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the Symphony serves Kansas City’s metro population of more than 2.2 million people as well as welcoming visitors from around the globe. The Symphony’s 80 full-time musicians from around the world bring a diverse and dynamic range of musical experiences to our audiences in both orchestral and chamber music formats each season. In addition to concerts in Helzberg Hall, Symphony musicians perform throughout the region on our portable stage, the Mobile Music Box. The Symphony also serves as the orchestra for the Kansas City Ballet and the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, adding to the rich cultural experiences that these organizations offer to the community.

Top international soloists perform with the Kansas City Symphony every season, including brilliant classical musicians, popular singer/songwriters, rock bands and other creative performers. The Symphony also performs live soundtracks for a variety of fan-favorite films, with the movie projected on a giant screen above the stage.

Music connects us; it has the unique ability to draw us closer to our inner selves and also closer to one another, transcending our differences. Every Kansas City Symphony concert will take you on an emotional journey — a journey that’s deeply personal but also a journey that we all experience together as one.

We’re happy you are here. We are your Kansas City Symphony.

For more information, please visit kcsymphony.org.

SYMPHONY SOCIETY CONTRIBUTORS

The list of individual contributors includes gifts of $2,500 or more received between November 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024.

Maestro’s Circle

($100,000 and above)

Ann Baum / G. Kenneth and

Ann Baum Philanthropic Fund

Paul DeBruce and Linda Woodsmall-DeBruce /

The DeBruce Foundation

Barnett and Shirley Helzberg ◊

John and Marny Sherman

Composer’s Circle

($50,000 to $99,999)

Anonymous

June Beaver

Phil and Alice Bixby

Web and Tracy Bixby

Susan and Charles Chambers

Virginia and Charles Clark

David A. Cooley, M.D.

Ever Glades Fund

Ellen and Irv Hockaday ◊

J.B. and Anne Hodgdon

Min and Fan Kao

Mr.† and Mrs. Stuart Knutson

Carol and John Kornitzer

Bill and Peggy Lyons ◊

Jean and Tom McDonnell

Virginia Merrill

Michael† and Susan Newburger ◊

Betty C. Scott ◊

Dana Seeley

Vera and Mike† Seeley

Kent Sunderland

Musician’s Circle

($30,000 to $49,999)

Donald Hall, Sr.

Chris and Adele Hodgdon ◊

Sue and Buzz Kelsey

Betsy Piebenga

Gary C. Robb and

Anita Porte Robb

Charlotte and Bob Ronan ◊

Melanie and H. Wayne Thompson, Jr.

Bravura Circle

($12,500 to $29,999)

Anonymous (2)

Marian Wood Bump

Tim Cook

Curtis and Lillian Cooper

Bunni and Paul Copaken

Robert Cross

William and Dorothy Curry

John and Jane† Davis

John M. and Mary Ann Edgar /

Edgar Law Firm LLC

Howard and Anne Elsberry

Sue Ann and Richard Fagerberg

Bill and Christy Gautreaux

James Gerson

John and Lynn Gerson

Kenneth and Marilyn Hager

Hargroves Family Foundation

Michael and Marlys Haverty

Charles and Barbara Haviland

Kim and Ted Higgins

Liz and John Hjalmarson

Dr. James M. and

Grace G. Hobbs II

Sharon and John Hoffman

Joan Horan ◊

Roger and Sandy Jackson

Nancy L. Kain ◊

Rod and Susan Kelley

Kirk Foundation / Judy Kirk

Kirk Foundation

Daniel and Jan Lewis

Carl Manning and Dana Fields

Suzanne Frisse ◊

Jill Marchant and Tom Haus

Ford and Christine Maurer

Pat and Beth McCown

Mike and Jan McGraw

John and Jackie Middelkamp

Edward P. Milbank

Sue and Lewis Nerman

Lyman and Sally Ott ◊

George and Suzy Pagels

Dr. Ron and Donna Patton ◊

George and Wendy Powell ◊

Sid and Jeannine Richison

William and Nancy Scheerer ◊

Joe and Susan Sims ◊

Randy and Mary Ann St. Clair

Jonathan and Meredith Sternberg

Linda S. Stevens ◊

Robert M. Suhre ◊

Bill and Marilyn Taylor ◊

Steve and Linda Taylor

Ann Marie Trask

Marylou Turner ◊

Patricia Werthan Uhlmann ◊

Connie Walker

Daniel Walker ◊

Sarah Ye

Crescendo Circle

($6,000 to $12,499)

Anonymous

M. Wayne Alexander and

John W. Braum ◊

Mr. and Mrs. James Andrews

Sara and Stephen Balawajder

Melinda Beal

Ruth Beedle ◊

Dr. Carol Blum and

Mr. Steven Wilson

Brian and Jennifer Blake

Betsy Bodker

Tom and Judy Bowser ◊

Cheryl and Barry Brady

Dr. Valerie Chow and

Judge Jon R. Gray (ret)

Donna Gould Cohen

Martha Comment

Michael and Diane Dark

Ann Dickinson†

Richard and Maureen

Durwood Foundation

Steve and Jenifer Edwards

Warren and Jenny Erdman

Michael and Melanie Fenske

Michael D. Fields ◊

Byron and Dana Fink

Shelly Freeman and

Kimberly Jones

Marilyn A.W. and

Norman E. Gaar, Esq.† ◊

Jacob Gerson

Levi and Emily Gerson

Gergory E. Gille

Mark and Nancy Gilman

Peter and Chris Godfrey

Dr. Robert Graham and Dr. Jane E. Henney

Edmund and Michiko Gross

Sally Groves

Christopher and Marsha Haufler

Susie and Spence Heddens

Heidelmann Jackson Family

Fund / Kelda Jackson and

Georg Heidelmann

Dr. Sara Hicks and

Mr. Michael O'Connell

Bill and Irma Lou Hirsch

Linda Houston Foundation

Beth Ingram

Tom and Madeline Johnson

Steve Joss ◊

Dr. Andrew Kao

Julie Kemper Foyer and

Jean-Charles Foyer

James C. Kogel ◊

Mordy Kopperman

Lois Lacy

Dr. Barbara Lukert and Estate

of Mary Stoskopf

Michael and Patricia Manners

JoZach Miller and Peter Bali

Dr. and Mrs. Fred Neuer

George and Cynthia Norton

John and Linda Perkins

Sarah, Joseph, Pamela and

Donald Raffurty

Greg and Caroline Reintjes

Jill Ingram Reynolds

Lisa and Charles Schellhorn

Ken Schmitz

James and Katherine Schorgl

Randy Sedlacek and

Mary Ventura

Suzanne Shank

Dr. Elisa S. Silverstein

Wallace and Mary Fern Souder

Susan and Tuck Spaulding

Greg and Barbara Storm

Jeannine Strandjord

Ann and John Sundeen, Jr.

David and Meg Swant

Sven and Julia Sykes

Mary and Al Tikwart

Dr. Angela and

Mr. Patrick Valadez

Chasitie and Michael Walden /

Burgess Family Foundation

Steven and Janet Walker

Robert and Merrill Walz ◊

Abby and Alex Wendel

Gena and Steven Williams

John and Mary Sue Williams

George and Beverley Wilson

Overture Circle

($3,500 to $5,999)

Anonymous (3)

Patty Aenchbacher

Ida B. Anderson

Scott and Bernadette Ashcraft

David and Suzanne Baetz

Richard and Emily Ballentine

Leonard and Irene Bettinger Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City

Wendy and Troy Burgess ◊

Von and Trish Byall

Mary Canham

Robert L. Claassen

Jane and George Cornwell

Suzanne Crandall

Una Creditor ◊

Uta Cross

Dr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Cummings

Cary and Pam DeCamp

Steven DeWilde and

Bradley Pearson

Mark and Lisa Ebbitts

Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Eisenach

Constance B. Fayen

Joerg and Christa Finger

Michael and Sara Gentry

John and Ellen Goheen

Dr. and Mrs. Charles W. Gorodetzky

Denise Griffey and Leon Langlitz ◊

Katie and Aaron Hackman

Dr. Richard and Julie Hellman

Pamela T. Henderson

James Heryer

Bradley and Karen Hodges

Pegge Hudgins

Dr. Randall and Doranne Hudson ◊

Quinton and Kristen Huffman ◊

Randy and Kelly Huffman

Roger Hurwitz

Vicki and Harold James

Allen and Carol Jenks

Dick and Sandy Jones

Homer and Becky Kay

John and Ann Kenney

Dr. Robert Klein

Drs. Kathy M. Krause and

Robert H. Lee

Norman and Margaret Kressmann ◊

Larry and Marilyn Lewis

Martha, Greg, and Terri Maddux

Doug and Nina McKenna

Dr. Richard and Mona Nelson

Pam and Jim Nolan

Nancy Panzer-Howell

Leslie Pfriem

William and Stacy Pratt

Patricia Raffel

Reses Apfel Family /

Jacqueline D. Reses

Fred and Susan Reynolds ◊

Scott and Beth Riekeman

Chuck and Michelle Ritter

Miriam and Daniel Scharf

Pradeep and Haruko Shukla

Clarence E. Simmons, Jr.

Louis and Sharon Smith

Peter Smith and Ellen Averett

Barbara and Burt Smoliar

Rick and Betsey Solberg ◊

Sue Strickler

Susan Tripp and John Woods

Deanna and Larry Van Cleave

Dr. Mark and Mary Ellen Walton

Heinz Wehner and Judith Biggs

Howard and Irene Weiner

Janice White

Sheila Wikas

Claire† and Russell Wilson

Bernie Young and Sandra Holt

Fanfare Circle

($2,500 to $3,499)

Anonymous (2)

Susan and Ho Anthony Ahn

Steve and Jeri Allison

Bruce and Gerry Barker

Richard Barohn, MD

Mr. and Mrs. Ken Bower

Ron and Kathy Bremer

Peter W. and Lynne K. Brown

Peter Browne and

Julie Walker-Browne

Robert and Pamela Bruce

Stephen and Susan Bubb

Gerard and Judy Bukowski

Mr. Jerry Bumgarner and

Dr. Jayne Opeña Bumgarner

Grant and Wendy Burcham

Steve and Sally Burk

Forrest Chumley and

Barbara Valent

Ron and Kim Coker

Carol and Mark Dirkes

Dr. Margaret Estrin Drinkwine and Mr. Frank Drinkwine

Dr. James C. Dyer

Lisa and Buzzah Feingold

Brent Finley and Nancy Brainard

Bradley and Theresa Freilich

Mark Gardner

Susan and Zack Hangauer

Robert and Anne Hutcherson

Bill and Regina Kort

Ermalyn Kubart and

Clinton Ludeman

Gloria LaDue

Dr. and Mrs. Steven B. Laster

Coyla Lockhart

Bruce and Priscilla Long

Graham and Helen Marcott

Donna and Rex Martin

Stephen and BeaMarie Mayer

Mr. and Mrs. Barry C. Mayhew

Michael and Julie McCann

William McCollum and

Diana Hadl

Nancy C. Messer

Julia and Dennis Meyer

Pam and Joe Meyer

Donald and Linda Milligan

Pete and Michelle Mirakian

Linda and George Neill

Dr. Mark Neustrom

Edward and Chris Null

Bobby and Eleanor Patton

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Penner

Melodie A. Powell and

Jerry L. Short

Kathryn and James Prevost

Cyndy Price

Joseph and Kelly Privitera

Jim and Sara Reed

Philip and Nancy Reicher

Dennis and Palle Rilinger ◊

Constance Roeder ◊

Dr. and Mrs. Steven Romondo

Nelson and Rachael Sabates

Glen and Susan Sands

Jack and Errett Schmid ◊

Janice and Mark Schonwetter

Dr. John Sheets and

Dr. Joy Stevenson

Christopher and Lisa Sirridge

Renee and Laurence Smith

Drs. David E. and

Frances G. Sternberg

Don and Cathy Thomson

Darrel and Linda Thomssen

Silvia Torres

Dale E. Walker

Myron and Nicole Wang

Chris Wasmund

Mr. and Mrs. William F. Webb

Janice Wiberg

Mark and Heather Winiarski

Jerry and Tammy Wood

Dr. Michael J. and Cindy S. Wurm

John and Karen Yungmeyer

Karl and Beth Zobrist

We are grateful for all donations to the Kansas City Symphony and every effort is made to list donors accurately. Space limitations, however, don't allow us to print every gift in the program book. If we have inadvertently omitted a name, or if you would like to modify your listing, please call the Philanthropy Department at 816.218.2624. This donor list includes gifts received between June 20, 2023 and July 10, 2024.

FOUNDATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

The list of foundation and organization contributors includes gifts received between November 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024.

Maestro’s Circle

($100,000 and above)

Marion and Henry Bloch

Family Foundation

The DeBruce Foundation

Hall Family Foundation

The Jewel Ball

Kansas City Symphony Alliance

Muriel McBrien Kauffman

Family Foundation

Bebe and Crosby Kemper Foundation for the Arts,

UMB Bank n.a., Trustee

William T. Kemper Foundation — Commerce Bank, Trustee

Estate of Dana Ann Greb Lyne

Missouri Arts Council

Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund, City of Kansas City, Missouri

Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts — Commerce Bank, Trustee

Symphony League

Composer’s Circle

($50,000 to $99,999)

City of Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Symphony Guild

Kao Family Foundation

Frank and Margaret G. McGee Fund

J.B. Reynolds Foundation

The Seeley Foundation

The Sunderland Foundation

Musician’s Circle

($25,000 to $49,999)

Curry Family Foundation

The Ronald D. Deffenbaugh Foundation

Arvin Gottlieb Charitable Foundation, UMB Bank, n.a., Trustee

Michael and Marlys Haverty Family Foundation Fund

Oppenstein Brothers Foundation

Pemberton Family Charitable Foundation

Victor E. and Caroline E. Schutte Foundation

The Sosland Foundation

Theater League

Benefactor

($10,000 to $24,999)

Anonymous

Cottrell Family Charitable Fund

The Cross Foundation

Elsberry Family Foundation

Fondation Foyer, Julie Kemper Foyer and Jean-Charles Foyer

Gerson Family Foundation

The Ingram Family Foundation

Kirk Foundation

Patron

($5,000 to $9,999)

Almy Legacy Fund

Dr. Gary Grunewald

Charitable Fund

Kathryn Jaderborg

Charitable Fund

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

McCown Family Foundation

Bill McGlaughlin Education Fund

Louis and Frances Swinken Supporting Foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City

Sustainer

($1,000 to $4,999)

The Breidenthal-Snyder Foundation

R. A. Long Foundation

Miller Nichols Charitable Foundation

Henry E. Wurst Family Foundation

BUSINESS ALLIANCE

CORPORATE CONTRIBUTORS

The list of corporate contributors includes gifts received between November 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024.

Business Alliance Maestro’s Circle

($100,000 and above)

Bank of America

Hallmark Corporate Foundation

Business Alliance Composer's Circle

($50,000 to $99,999)

Helzberg

Business Alliance Platinum Partner

($25,000 to $49,999)

The H & R Block Foundation

Ford World Headquarters

PNC

Union Station Kansas City

Webster House Garage, LLC

Business Alliance

Gold Partner

($10,000 to $24,999)

AdventHealth

BlueScope

Claridge Court

Country Club Bank

Edgar Law Firm LLC /

John and Mary Ann Edgar

Evergy

Forvis Mazars

JE Dunn Construction Company

Kansas City, MO Parks and Recreation

Kissick Construction

Kornitzer Capital Management / Carol and John Kornitzer

Mark One Electric Company, Inc.

McCownGordon Construction

Spencer Fane LLP

UMB Financial Corporation

Walz Tetrick Advertising

Business Alliance Principal Partner

($5,000 to $9,999)

Ash Grove Cement Company

Associated Audiologists, Inc.

Black & McDonald

Burns & McDonnell

CBIZ

Dollar, Burns, Becker & Hershewe

EPR Properties

Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Humana

Kansas City Life Insurance Company

MC Realty Group

Optum

Parisi Coffee

Renewal by Andersen

Robb & Robb LLC Attorneys

at Law

Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

Straub Construction Company, Inc.

U.S. Engineering Holdings

Veracity Consulting Inc.

Business Alliance Partner

($3,000 to $4,999)

Adams Brown Wealth Consultants

Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Brown & Brown

Commerce Bank

Foley Equipment

Gill Studios, Inc.

Global Prairie

Grünauer Restaurant

NetStandard Inc.

Price Brothers Management Company

Restless Spirits Distilling

State Street

Business Friend

($500 to $2,999)

American Century Investments

AM CPA

Amos Family Funeral Home

Anderson and Associates

Aon

BC Engineers

Blue Cross Blue Shield of

Kansas City

Blue Sky Advisors, LLC

BUBBL'R

Built Interior Construction

Platinum XP

Capital Vacations

DL & CL Investments

Excel Constructors

First Interstate Bank

Garmin

Green Dirt on Oak

Harvest Graphics, LLC

Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

Heavenly Homes Team Real Estate

HFG Architecture

His & Her Fitness

Holladay Distillery

J. Rieger & Co.

John Rufenacht Assoc. Inc.

Kansas City Bier Company

The Kansas City Southern Charitable Fund

Katie Grimes CrossCountry Mortgage

KC Strings

Lockton Companies Inc.

Merrill Lynch/David Voysey

Metcalf Auto Plaza

Michelle Deutch D.D.S.

Mixture

Oak & Steel

Olive Events Catering

PARIC Corporation

Polsinelli

Pulse Design Group

Rank & Roberts Real Estate

Reliant Financial Services

SageView Advisory - Kansas City

SHS MedTech Consulting

Soli Printing

Tom's Town Distilling Co.

Warriors' Ascent

West Bottoms Whiskey Co.

Wyatt Violin Shop, LLC

We are grateful for all donations. We make every effort to list donors accurately. Space limitations, however, don't allow us to print every gift in the program book. If we have omitted a name, or if you would like to modify your listing, please call 816.218.2624.

BUSINESS ALLIANCE

CORPORATE CONTRIBUTORS

Business Alliance Maestro’s Circle

($100,000 and above)

Bank of America

Hallmark Corporate Foundation

Business Alliance Composer's Circle

($50,000 to $99,999)

Helzberg

Business Alliance Platinum Partner

($25,000 to $49,999)

The H & R Block Foundation

Ford World Headquarters

PNC

Union Station Kansas City

Webster House Garage, LLC

Business Alliance

Gold Partner

($10,000 to $24,999)

AdventHealth

BlueScope

Claridge Court

Country Club Bank

Edgar Law Firm LLC /

John and Mary Ann Edgar

Evergy

Forvis Mazars

JE Dunn Construction Company

Kansas City, MO Parks and Recreation

Kissick Construction

Kornitzer Capital Management / Carol and John Kornitzer

Mark One Electric Company, Inc.

McCownGordon Construction

Spencer Fane LLP

UMB Financial Corporation

Walz Tetrick Advertising

Business Alliance Principal Partner

($5,000 to $9,999)

Ash Grove Cement Company

Associated Audiologists, Inc.

Black & McDonald

Burns & McDonnell

CBIZ

Dollar, Burns, Becker & Hershewe

EPR Properties

Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Humana

Kansas City Life Insurance Company

MC Realty Group

Optum

Parisi Coffee

Renewal by Andersen

Robb & Robb LLC Attorneys

at Law

Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

Straub Construction Company, Inc.

U.S. Engineering Holdings

Veracity Consulting Inc.

Business Alliance Partner

($3,000 to $4,999)

Adams Brown Wealth Consultants

Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Brown & Brown

Commerce Bank

Foley Equipment

Gill Studios, Inc.

Global Prairie

Grünauer Restaurant

NetStandard Inc.

Price Brothers Management Company

Restless Spirits Distilling

State Street

Business Friend

($500 to $2,999)

American Century Investments

AM CPA

Amos Family Funeral Home

Anderson and Associates

Aon

BC Engineers

Blue Cross Blue Shield of

Kansas City

Blue Sky Advisors, LLC

BUBBL'R

Built Interior Construction

Platinum XP

Capital Vacations

DL & CL Investments

Excel Constructors

First Interstate Bank

Garmin

Green Dirt on Oak

Harvest Graphics, LLC

Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

Heavenly Homes Team Real Estate

HFG Architecture

His & Her Fitness

Holladay Distillery

J. Rieger & Co.

John Rufenacht Assoc. Inc.

Kansas City Bier Company

The Kansas City Southern Charitable Fund

Katie Grimes CrossCountry Mortgage

KC Strings

Lockton Companies Inc.

Merrill Lynch/David Voysey

Metcalf Auto Plaza

Michelle Deutch D.D.S.

Mixture

Oak & Steel

Olive Events Catering

PARIC Corporation

Polsinelli

Pulse Design Group

Rank & Roberts Real Estate

Reliant Financial Services

SageView Advisory - Kansas City

SHS MedTech Consulting

Soli Printing

Tom's Town Distilling Co.

Warriors' Ascent

West Bottoms Whiskey Co.

Wyatt Violin Shop, LLC

CORPORATE MATCHING

Did you know you can double or triple the impact of your donation to the Kansas City Symphony?

Through corporate matching gift programs, you can multiply your gift and expand your support to the Symphony’s programs reaching more than 250,000 adults and children throughout our community.

Help make a difference by contacting your human resources or benefits representative for specific information on your company’s matching gift program. The following are just a few of the many generous businesses that match gifts to the Kansas City Symphony from employees, retirees, or employee spouses. Let’s add your company today!

AIG Matching Gifts Program

American Century Investments

Andrews McMeel Universal

Archer Daniels Midland Matching
Gifts Program

Assurant Foundation Matching
Gifts Program

AT&T Foundation

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.

Aventis

Bank of America

BATS Exchange

BCD Travel Matching Gift Program

BlueScope Foundation, N.A.

BMO Wealth Management

BNSF Foundation

Bright Funds Foundation Matching Gifts

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Broadridge Financial Matching
Gifts Program

Burns and McDonnell

Cardinal Health Foundation
Matching Gifts

Caterpillar Matching Gifts Program

Chevron Matching Gift Program

Chubb & Son Matching Gift Program

CIGNA Matching Gifts Program

Citigroup Foundation Matching
Gifts Program

CNA Foundation Matching Gifts

Coca-Cola Bottling Company of
Mid-America, Inc.

ConocoPhillips

DST Systems, Inc.

Eli Lilly and Company Foundation

Embarq Matching Gifts Program

Enbridge Foundation Matching
Gifts Program

EPR Properties

Ericsson Employee Engagement Matching Gifts

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

ExxonMobil Foundation Matching
Gifts Program

Gap Foundation

General Mills Foundation Matching Gift Program

H & R Block Foundation

Haire-Bohmer Wealth Management Group, LLL

Hallmark Corporate Foundation

Home Depot

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

IBM

JANUS Matching Gift Center

Johnson Foundation Inc.

JP Morgan Chase Foundation

Kansas City Southern

Kauffman Foundation Matching
Gifts Program

KCP&L

Keybank Foundation Matching Gifts

Lincoln Financial Foundation Matching Gifts Program

Macy’s Foundation

May Department Stores Foundation Matching Gifts Program

McCownGordon Construction, LLC

Merck Company Foundation Matching Gifts Program

Merck Partnership for Giving

Merrill Lynch & Co. Foundation, Inc.

Microsoft Matching Gifts

MMC Contractors

Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation

Oracle Matching Gifts Program

Pfizer, Inc.

Pharmacia Retiree Matching
Gifts Program

Pitney Bowes Matching Gifts

PNC Financial Services

Sam’s Club Foundation

Seaboard Corporation

Security Benefit Matching Gifts

Seigfreid Bingham PC

Sosland Foundation

Spectra Energy Corporation

Sprint Foundation

SPX Matching Gift Program

State Street Investors

Synchrony Financial Matching Gifts

Talbott & Associates

Texas Instruments Matching
Gifts Program

Thrivent Financial

Tiffany & Co.

Time Warner Cable

Tradebot Systems, Inc.

U.S. Bank

UBS Matching Gifts Program

UMB Financial Corp

Unilever United States, Inc.

Union Pacific Corporation

Unitedhealth Group

US Bancorp Foundation Matching
Gifts Program

UTLX

Verizon Foundation

VML

Worldspan Matching Gifts Program

Wyeth Matching Gifts Program

Yellow Freight Matching Gifts

YSI Foundation Matching Program

Zurich Matching Gifts Program

GENERAL INFORMATION

Symphony Offices

Shirley Bush Helzberg

Symphony House

1644 Wyandotte Street

Kansas City, MO 64108

Administration

(816) 471-0400

9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Monday through Friday

Box Office

(816) 471-0400

10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Monday through Friday

Tax-Deductible Tickets

Can’t make it to a concert? Return your tickets prior to the performance to receive a receipt showing that you have made a tax-deductible contribution in the amount of your tickets if they are re-sold. For convenience, call the automated ticket return hotline at

(816) 218-2632 or visit kcsymphony.org/return at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled concert. Help us make sure no seat is left empty!

Free Exchanges for Subscribers

Subscribers may exchange tickets into most concerts at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled concert with no exchange fees. Call (816) 471-0400 to coordinate the exchange.

Subscriber, Student & Senior Ticket Discounts

Seniors and season subscribers receive a $5 discount on regularly priced adult tickets to most individual concerts, subject to availability and exclusions. Students ages 30 and younger with a valid student ID may purchase $12 student rush tickets to most Classical and Pops concerts, or a student season Classical Series pass for just $29, subject to availability and exclusions. Visit kcsymphony.org/student for details.

Stay Connected

For complete season information or to sign up for Symphony email alerts, visit kcsymphony.org. Stay up to date by following the Symphony on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY ON CLASSICAL KC

Listen Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 4:00 p.m. for conversation and highlights of Symphony Classical Series performances on 91.9 Classical KC and ClassicalKC.org.

Please Note:

• • Photographic and recording equipment is strictly prohibited at Symphony concerts and may be confiscated by house managers.
  
• • No electronic devices are allowed during performances, including cell phones, pagers, games and cameras.
  
• • Children ages 8 and older are welcome to attend Symphony Classical and Pops concerts.
  
• • The Kansas City Symphony Alliance sponsors the Symphony Shop located in the lobby, with purchases benefiting the Symphony.
  
• • Smoking is not permitted at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Refreshments are not allowed inside Helzberg Hall.
  
• • Found items are immediately taken to the Security Console located at the Stage and Performers Entrance near the north entry of the Kauffman Center. Kauffman Center Security will make every effort to identify and contact the owners of lost items. Items unclaimed after 90 days will be donated to a local charity. Cash and items of significant value left over 90 days will be treated as a donation to the Kauffman Center. To inquire about a lost item, contact Kauffman Center Security at (816) 994-7244.
  

Garage, Valet & Street Parking

The 1,000-car Arts District garage connects to the Kauffman Center, offering convenience and shelter from inclement weather. Patrons may purchase pre-paid parking vouchers and valet parking in advance through the Symphony Box Office. Valet parking is located on the south side of the Kauffman Center, accessed from Broadway. Parking is also available in the Webster Garage at 17th and Wyandotte. Patrons seeking street parking will find numerous parking spaces throughout the Crossroads District.

Patron Drop Off

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts has a drop-off point at 16th and Central, as well as on the private drive located south of the building accessed from Broadway.

Hall Accessibility

Accessible seating for patrons using wheelchairs and walkers is available in most areas of Helzberg Hall, including the Parterre, Mezzanine and Lower Grand Tier. Please consult the Symphony Box Office at the time of purchase to determine the best and most accessible seating options.

Accessible Parking & Restrooms

Handicapped parking spaces are available in the Arts District garage near building access points, with marked pathways leading from the garage to the center walkway aisles. Accessible restrooms are located on the Brandmeyer Great Hall lobby level on the east side of the Kauffman Center near Helzberg Hall.

Headsets

The Kauffman Center for Performing Arts offers headsets for patrons who would benefit from amplified sound. Headsets are available free of charge to all guests and can be checked out from the Kauffman Center coat check.

KAUFFMAN CENTER SAFETY & SECURITY

To view complete safety and security guidelines, visit kauffmancenter.org.

KAUFFMAN CENTER SAFETY & SECURITY

Kauffman Center places the highest priority on the comfort and safety of its patrons. Kauffman Center provides 24-hour security and video surveillance services, EMT medical services at events, and has more than 400 trained ushers to provide direction and support in the event that emergency egress or severe weather refuge is required.

IN ANY EMERGENCY

It is imperative that you listen to and comply with any and all specific instructions that are announced.

Security policy

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, together with the Kansas City Symphony, recognizes the safety of our patrons, staff, volunteers and performers is a critical cornerstone for providing world-class performing arts experiences.

The Kauffman Center has implemented a new security screening policy and related procedures for guests attending performances. This new protocol includes walk-through and hand-held magnetometers (metal detectors) to screen for items prohibited inside the Kauffman Center. Please note the new security screening policy eliminates the 12-inch-by-12-inch limitation for bags, as security will search all bags prior to entry for public events. Over-sized duffels, cases and all backpacks remain prohibited.

View the complete policy at kauffmancenter.org, where all procedural information is located and updated for the Kauffman Center.

IN CASE OF FIRE

Kauffman Center is equipped with advanced life-safety early-alert systems. Each performance hall also is designed with numerous emergency exit stairwells, specifically for use in an evacuation, which lead directly outside. The areas to the north of the Kauffman Center (Bartle Hall parking lot and Bartle Ballroom Courtyard) are good places to meet others in your group if you become separated.

It is important for patrons to recognize that the main entries and lobby areas will not be used by most patrons in an emergency evacuation, and elevators will NOT be in service.

Lighted exit signs direct patrons to the emergency exit paths. Please take a moment to identify nearby exit signs. If a fire alarm is activated during an event, instructions will be delivered from the stage. An appropriate amount of time will be allowed for staff to investigate and verify the source of the alarm prior to evacuating the venue. This plan was developed with the assistance of the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Marshal’s Office.

Patrons with mobility limitations should remain in the venue near one of the marked “Emergency Evacuation Assistance” areas. First responders will evacuate those requiring rescue assistance immediately upon their arrival.

IN CASE OF A TORNADO

Please follow all instructions as announced from the stage. For questions or more details about emergency evacuation procedures, please contact a house supervisor or ushering team captain.

KAUFFMAN CENTER EMERGENCY EXIT MAP