Drum roll, please...

Dear patrons,

Raising money for classical performing arts is always a challenge, so we are incredibly proud of having exceeded this campaign goal. We raised $148,100.00 (and counting) this past weekend during our annual Chair Affair 2022, exceeding our goal by $48,100! Of our 70 musicians, 27 musicians are sponsored so far. There are still opportunities to select and sponsor a musician for the upcoming season!

We are thrilled to welcome new Chair Sponsors and Sustaining Partners into this generous group of live music enthusiasts and are grateful to those who continue to support the orchestra through this initiative. A standing ovation to you all!

Sponsored

Musicians:

Michael Forte is principal clarinet of the Southwest Florida Symphony and the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra and is co-principal clarinet of The Symphonia Boca Raton. Mr. Forte teaches at Palm Beach Atlantic University and is Artist-in-Residence at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach. Mr. Forte holds a Bachelor of Music in clarinet performance from Syracuse University.

Kat Baloff-Tenev & Yordan Tenev are both violinists in our orchestra since 2017, and last year not only got married but joined the Symphony's administration team! Kat is our Personnel Manager, while Yordan is the Orchestra Principal Librarian.

Kat is a violinist with the Southwest Florida Symphony and the Sarasota Orchestra and the founder of the Katherine B. Violin Academy, where she maintains a studio of about 30 private violin students from around the world, both virtually and in person. Originally from Cherry Hill, NJ, a suburb of Philadelphia, Katherine began playing the violin at age 10. Since then, she has enjoyed serving as concertmaster and in the violin section of numerous orchestras in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Florida.

Yordan is a violinist with the Southwest Florida Symphony and the Sarasota Orchestra. Born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Yordan made his solo debut at age 9, and has since captivated audiences on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. At 13, he came to the United States to attend the prestigious Idyllwild Arts Academy in California on full scholarship. Yordan Tenev holds a Master of Music degree in Violin Performance from Lynn Conservatory of Music.

Bulgarian violinist Dilyana Zlatinova-Tsenov is Concertmaster of Kravis Pops Orchestra & Tsenov Chamber Ensemble, 1st violinist at Stratus 4 String Quartet, and violinist at The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Southwest Florida Symphony, and the American Ballet Theatre. Dilyana began her professional musical studies at the Lyubomir Pipkov National School of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria. Dilyana holds a Bachelor's Degree in violin performance from Montclair State University and a Master's Degree from Manhattan School of Music.

Sponsor a Musician!

Minimum Chair Sponsorship $2,500

Demonstrate your support for the music we create by sponsoring a particular musician’s chair in the orchestra. Chair sponsors are invited to attend the annual benefit/thank you party (scroll to the bottom to see photos from last weekend), to attend a designated dress rehearsal during our concert season, and to have their names listed under the names of the musicians they sponsor in the symphony program book. The most rewarding benefit is that chair sponsors are given opportunities to interact with the musicians they sponsor. Many of the symphony’s chair sponsors form meaningful, lifelong friendships with our musicians; a benefit that has proven priceless for all involved.

See a musician you'd like to sponsor or want to learn more? Email Amy at aginsburg@swflso.org or call (239)418-0996. More musicians will be featured soon.

Scott is principal bass of the Southwest Florida Symphony, section bass with the Austin Symphony, and a former member of the Binghamton Philharmonic. Scott grew up on Long Island and began playing the double bass at age 9. Scott holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Indiana University, as well as a Professional Performance Certificate from Lynn University.

Jennifer French is second horn with the Southwest Florida Symphony, a founding member of the Brass Quintet at the Southwest Florida Symphony, and has also previously been our orchestra librarian. French won her position in 2000 after starting as a sub the year prior. Raised in central Florida, French covered her collegiate bases by attending FSU, finishing both her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from the University of Florida.

Shawn Snider is a member of the Southwest Florida Symphony, the Venice Symphony, Naples 5th Avenue Chamber Orchestra; serves as principal violist of the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus & Orchestra and the South Shore Symphony; and a substitute player for the Sarasota Orchestra. Shawn has played throughout Southwest Florida in many events such as Governor Charlie Crist's wedding reception, back-up musician for the Motown group “The Commodores” and on many occasions under the baton of the late Eric Kunzel (from the Cincinnati Pops).

Photographs from

Chair Affair 2022

Renata Arado and Ariel Eliot on violin, Andrew Armstrong on the piano,

Rachel Cox on viola, and Scott Crowley on cello.

Chair Sponsors Anne Wardlow, Corey Vertich, and Katherine Caldwell.

Access all photographs and video footage from the event HERE. The link expires April 9.

Make a Gift

There are many ways to support your local symphony orchestra outside of sponsoring a musician. Your donation also helps fund our youth orchestra, music in our schools, and the numerous programs we deliver each year. Please consider donating today.