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Ivy Tech gives SSO new performance home

Planned giving to the SSO helps insure the future of music on the Chicago/Lake Michigan South Shore

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Dear Friends,

Welcome to the world of South Shore Orchestra. SSO is a community based orches-
tra where membership is by audition or invitation. We are a unique mixture of professional and
community musicians whose primary goal is to “orchestrate a musical community” through our
season concerts and musical partnerships across the south shore. As an orchestra, our
flexible instrumentation allows SSO to showcase anywhere from one musician to a 60 piece
orchestra in a single performance.

Tonight we begin the celebration of our 5th season as South Shore Orchestra. The past
five years of “orchestrating a musical community” have certainly been full of adventure in many
respects, and I am extremely proud of all that we have been able to accomplish in our beginning
years. Some highlights of our first five years include:

Community and Educational Outreach

In the past 3 years, we have raised over $10,000 for Prevent Child Abuse Porter County.

1. Creating a substantial $2,500 performance scholarship for a graduating high school senior
   in Lake or Porter County.
2. Making Memories: A free arts/literacy library class for families in partnership with South
   Shore Arts.
3. Extensive collaborative partnerships with community businesses and organizations.
4. Creation of South Shore Youth Orchestras, which allow children the opportunity to perform
   in three separate youth orchestras from beginning to advanced levels.

Artistic Accomplishments

1. In five years we have created and nurtured our orchestra from a 15 piece ensemble on our
   very first concert to a 60 piece symphony orchestra.
2. Free outdoor summer chamber music concerts and summer orchestra concert.
3. Numerous state, national, and world premieres in both musical theatre and symphonic lit-
   erature.
4. Created over a dozen new paintings in partnership with local artists for our Fusion of Music
   and Art concerts.
5. Invitation to perform in China on a 10 day / 7 concert New Year’s tour.

Additionally this season, we welcome Egyptian composer Halim El Dabh and American com-
poser Michael Schelle as our composers-in-residence throughout the 2009 season. We also wel-
come violinist Gregory Maytan and pianist Miho Sasaki who will be performing with us
throughout the season as our artists-in-residence. Finally, we are very excited about our new
partnership with the Confucius Institute of Valparaiso University and continuing partnership
with Ivy Tech College.

In conclusion, I want to thank you for your support of South Shore Orchestra by at-
tending our concerts. Now sit back, relax and enjoy as OUR adventure continues…..

Musically Yours,

Troy Webdell
Music Director & Conductor