SECU Members Bring North Carolina Symphony to Students and Communities Across the State

Supporting the arts as part of its education-focused initiatives, State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) members via the SECU Foundation, have provided the North Carolina Symphony with $140,000 in funding for a new 28-foot insulated vehicle, the organizations announced today. The new vehicle will help the nationally recognized North Carolina Symphony continue their broad travels across the state to bring world-class talent and musical performances to North Carolina students and communities each year. The Symphony's vehicle is a vital component for transporting the orchestra's valuable instruments in a structurally sound, temperature and humidity-controlled environment in order to maintain instrument integrity. In recognition of SECU members' contribution as a partner in education, the vehicle will be designed with an exterior wrap highlighting the SECU Foundation alongside the Symphony.

The North Carolina Symphony is the state's premier professional orchestra and largest performing arts organization. Through its commitment to artistic excellence, statewide service and music education, the Symphony performs approximately 175 concerts each season. It travels over 12,000 miles annually, reaching nearly 250,000 adults and children every year through performances in concert halls, auditoriums, gymnasiums and outdoor settings in North Carolina communities all across the state. Based in Raleigh, the orchestra presents more than 50% of its concerts outside of the Triangle.

The Symphony's extensive music education program, one of the largest offered by a U.S. orchestra, serves North Carolina's elementary, middle, and high school students through full-orchestra Education Concerts and outreach initiatives including Ensembles in the Schools, the Young Strings of the Triangle and the Bryan Youth Concerto Competition. Approximately 40 full-orchestra Education Concerts are performed by the Symphony each year for more than 55,000 elementary school students.

Jim Barber, SECU Foundation Board Chair, remarks, "The Symphony reaches a very diverse audience from all age groups extensively across the state. Their incredible music education program provides students with the opportunity to experience, study, and appreciate the culture and enriching qualities of orchestral music under nationally recognized leadership. SECU members welcome the opportunity to support the North Carolina Symphony, and help bring music education to North Carolina students."

Sandi Macdonald, President and CEO of the North Carolina Symphony, says, "The Symphony is honored to receive this generous gift from the State Employees' Credit Union Foundation. As a new and important partner to the North Carolina Symphony, SECU and its members are assisting us in providing students throughout the state with great music, performed at the highest levels, right in their hometowns. Attending a concert live is an incomparable experience, and we cannot thank SECU enough for helping us make that happen, especially for so many young people across the state of North Carolina."

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