Basketballs and bassoons, goalposts and Gustav Holst, brutal human collisions on grass and intertwining melodies on stage, twirling batons and time-beating batons â€" none of these things seem to go together. But they do for the sake of Indianapolis. The city's orchestra said the owners of the local professional football and basketball teams had each promised to donate $750,000 to help the financially ailing orchestra survive.
Referring to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's slogan that life is better with music, Herb Simon, the owner of the Pacers basketball team, said, “I think Indianapolis is better with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra,†according to a news release issued by the orchestra. The other donor was the owner of the Colts, Jim Irsay, who has displa yed one of Jerry Garcia's guitars and a picture of Jimi Hendrix in his office.
The gifts are part of an emergency $5 million fundraising campaign, which has a deadline of Feb. 3. The orchestra said it is nearly halfway there. A recent five-year labor contract that includes large pay cuts for the musicians hinges on reaching the goal. The agreement came after a lockout in the fall led to the cancellation of five weeks of concerts.
