IA/IL QUAD-CITIES - To foster awareness of the 100th Anniversary of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) and raise funds to support its Music Education programs, the 100 Years, 100 Cellos program was initiated by the Volunteers for Symphony. The upcoming Cello-Bration at the Figge Museum is the grand finale of this epic promotion.
100 Years, 100 Cellos is an innovative program benefitting music education. One-hundred full-size cellos were transformed into beautiful works of art by artists from the Quad-Cities area and beyond. The Cello-Bration, featuring all 100 cellos, will be held 6-10 p.m. Friday, May 29, 2015, at the Figge Museum, 225 W. 2nd St., Davenport, IA. Attendees can meet with the cello artists and bid on the cellos during an auction (bidding ends at 9 p.m.). Community members who are unable to attend can bid online for the cellos at www.biddingforgood.com/
"All funds raised from sponsorship and auctions of the cellos will benefit the QCSO and its education programs," said Benjamin Loeb, Executive Director of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. "We invite the community to come to the Cello-Bration and experience the visually stunning display of all 100 beautiful cellos in one place at the same time."
Attendees can enjoy a delicious array of vegetables, cheese, sausage, fruits, antipasto olives and peppers, assorted relishes, dip and crackers, as well as a cash bar. Musical entertainment will include both trumpets and cellos. Big River Brass will do a brass fanfare and Happy Birthday (with a cello cake), and a cello ensemble will also play. Admission is $25 for adults, $10 for students, and $20 for Volunteers for Symphony members.
The Figge Museum will have a free gallery preview of the cellos May 26-29 in the Figge Museum lobby during regular business hours. In addition, a glossy 110-page commemorative book displaying each artist's painted cello will be available for purchase for $35. The book was designed by the students of the Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities under the direction of Clint Balsar.
The QCSO is the largest provider of instrumental music education engagement programs in the Quad-Cities area, reaching more than 10,000 students each year.
The 100 cellos used for the "100 Years, 100 Cellos" campaign arrived Feb. 6, 2015, at Asbury Methodist United Church in Bettendorf, IA, and from there they were distributed to the artists. Ninety of the final decorated cellos were displayed throughout the Quad Cities at indoor locations selected by their sponsors from March to mid-May. Each cello was labeled, stating its art title, the name of its artist, and sponsor.
The funds raised from this initiative will help support QCSO music education programs. These include School Engagement classroom visits, Symphony Day, Students@Symphony, Instruments for Kids, and the QC Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYEs). "Music education is a central part of the QCSO mission, and 100 Years, 100 Cellos will help us greatly expand our positive impact and eventually grow the audiences and patrons of the future," Loeb said.
For more information on the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, call (563) 322-7276 or visit www.qcso.org.
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