January 31st, 2022 (Ann Arbor, MI) — The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (A2SO) is excited to announce receipt of a grant from the Towsley Foundation in support of the orchestra’s Mozart & Shostakovich concert that took place on January 22, 2022 at the Michigan Theater. The grant offered a total of $15,000 towards funding the concert from the Harry A. & Margaret D. Towsley Foundation.
The A2SO’s Mozart & Shostakovich concert program began with Beethoven’s Overture to Fidelio, Op. 72c, before two pianos took center stage for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Concerto No. 10, K. 365, performed by University of Michigan faculty members Arthur Greene and Christopher Harding. The concert concluded with Shostakovich’s powerful Symphony No. 5, a work that achieved the unthinkable in appealing to both Soviet officials and the wider listening audience at a time of rigorous censorship. Conductor Oriol Sans led the concert as the A2SO’s music director search continues across the 21-22 season.
Established by Margaret Dow Towsley in 1959, the Towsley Foundation is a charitable, Michigan-based organization that seeks to provide support for other charitable organizations that improve the lives of the people and community. The Towsley Foundation grant serves to continue Dr. and Mrs. Towsley’s legacies of philanthropy by providing financial support to Michigan-focused, community-driven organizations.
Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra concerts serve as artistic and cultural focal points for the local Ann Arbor community, alongside drawing more people to local Ann Arbor businesses and providing employment for talented musicians and concert organizers. However, these concerts would not be possible without foundation support, especially across the recent pandemic. As such, the A2SO is grateful to the Towsley Foundation for their support of this mainstage concert. The Mozart & Shostakovich concert continues the A2SO’s return to live music performances, drawing music lovers to the area to support local businesses and musicians and further enhancing cultural life in the region.