Philadelphia Orchestra Award Presented to Benefactor Carole Haas Gravagno

(Philadelphia, October 1, 2013)—The Philadelphia Orchestra Award was presented to Carole Haas Gravagno at the Opening Night Concert of The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2013-14 season on Wednesday, September 25, 2013. The Award is given by the Board of Directors of The Philadelphia Orchestra Association to one or more persons in the Orchestra family of Board members, volunteers, musicians, staff, and friends, or to an organization that has made exemplary contributions to The Philadelphia Orchestra Association. The recipient may be recognized for their musicianship, artistic leadership, philanthropy, fundraising, innovation, management, education, governance, or dedicated service.

Carole Haas Gravagno first joined the Board of The Philadelphia Orchestra Association in 1994 and served until 2012. While a member of the Board she was active on the Executive, Development, Education and Community Partnerships, and Strategic Planning committees. She is a longtime subscriber and donor and was responsible for developing and providing major funding for the documentary Music from the Inside Out, which was about The Philadelphia Orchestra. She has been instrumental in raising money for the Recovery and Transformation funds and has endowed the Principal Bass Chair, currently held by Harold Robinson; she also created an endowed position in the Orchestra’s education department.

In addition to her association with the Orchestra, Carole Haas Gravagno has carved a permanent niche in this community as a determined and devoted supporter of many of Philadelphia’s premier arts and education organizations. She is a dedicated Board member, volunteer, and supporter of numerous arts and educational organizations in the Philadelphia area. She has worked with the Arden Theatre Company, People’s Light & Theater Company, the Please Touch Museum, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Philadelphia, the Settlement Music School, the Morris Arboretum, and many others. She is also a strong advocate of various children’s groups, including the Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund, the Stoneleigh Foundation, the Lakeside Educational Network, the Maternity Care

Coalition, and Educating Communities for Parenting. She is proud to be working with Play On, Philly! a transformative music program at St. Francis de Sales School and Friere Middle School. As a philanthropist and volunteer she exemplifies the greatest strength a region can have for advancing the well-being of its youth and citizens.

Born in Philadelphia, Carole Haas Gravagno holds a Bachelor of Arts from Lenoir-Rhyne College in North Carolina and a Master’s of Education from Temple University. She is a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania, having been appointed as such in 1999 by Governor Tom Ridge. She is married to retired Philadelphia Orchestra bass player Emilio Gravagno and is a devoted mother, grandmother, wife, and daughter.

Carole Haas Gravagno is the 16th recipient of the Philadelphia Orchestra Award. Previous recipients were Mrs. Eugene Ormandy and Norman Carol; Doris Frankel and Polly Newbold; Joseph dePasquale and Anthony Gigliotti; the Honorable and Mrs. Walter H. Annenberg; CIGNA Corporation; the Honorable and Mrs. Edward G. Rendell; David P. Eastburn; Mimi O’Malley; the Volunteer Committees for The Philadelphia Orchestra; Joseph and Jeanette Neubauer and the Neubauer Family Foundation; Joseph and Marie Field; Peter A. Benoliel; Frank and Mollie Slattery; Charles Dutoit; and the Musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra.

The Philadelphia Orchestra

The Philadelphia Orchestra is one of the preeminent orchestras in the world, renowned for its distinctive sound, desired for its keen ability to capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences, and admired for a legacy of innovation in music-making. The Orchestra is inspiring the future and transforming its rich tradition of achievement, sustaining the highest level of artistic quality, but also challenging—and exceeding—that level by creating powerful musical experiences for audiences at home and around the world.

Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin triumphantly opened his inaugural season as the eighth artistic leader of The Philadelphia Orchestra in the fall of 2012. His highly collaborative style, deeply-rooted musical curiosity, and boundless enthusiasm, paired with a fresh approach to orchestral programming, have been heralded by critics and audiences alike. The New York Times has called Nézet-Séguin “phenomenal,” adding that under his baton, “the ensemble … has never sounded better.” He is embraced by the musicians of the Orchestra, audiences, and the community itself. His concerts of diverse repertoire attract sold-out houses, and he has established a regular forum for connecting with concert-goers through Post-Concert Conversations.

Under Nézet-Séguin’s leadership the Orchestra returns to recording with a newly-released CD on the Deutsche Grammophon label of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Leopold Stokowski transcriptions. In his inaugural season the Orchestra has also returned to the radio airwaves, with weekly Sunday afternoon broadcasts on WRTI-FM.

Philadelphia is home and the Orchestra nurtures an important relationship not only with patrons who support the main season at the Kimmel Center but also those who enjoy the Orchestra’s other area performances at the Mann Center, Penn’s Landing, and other venues. The Philadelphia Orchestra Association also continues to own the Academy of Music, a National Historic Landmark.

The Philadelphia Orchestra maintains a strong commitment to collaborations with cultural and community organizations on a regional and national level. Since Orchestra President and CEO Allison Vulgamore’s arrival in 2010 the Orchestra has reinvigorated and launched new partnerships with Opera Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Ballet, Philadelphia Live Arts (Fringe Festival), Philadanco, the Curtis Institute of Music, the Ridge Theater Company, and stage director James Alexander, among others.

Through concerts, tours, residencies, presentations, and recordings, the Orchestra is a global ambassador for Philadelphia and for the United States. Having been the first American orchestra to perform in China, in 1973 at the request of President Nixon, today The Philadelphia Orchestra boasts a new partnership with the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. The ensemble annually performs at Carnegie Hall while also enjoying a three-week residency in Saratoga Springs, New York, and a strong partnership with the Bravo! Vail festival.

The Philadelphia Orchestra continues its decades-long tradition of presenting learning and community engagement opportunities for listeners of all ages across the Delaware Valley. Concerts for families and schoolchildren; eZseatU, which allows full-time college students to attend an unlimited number of Orchestra concerts for a $25 annual membership fee; free Neighborhood Concerts; and PreConcert Conversations before every subscription concert are only a few examples of ways in which the Orchestra introduces orchestral music to a new generation of listeners. Musician-led initiatives, including recent highly-successful Cello and Violin Play-Ins, shine a spotlight on the Orchestra’s musicians, as they spread out from the stage into the community, and serve a key role in growing young musician talent and a love of classical music in their own dedicated roles as teachers, coaches, and mentors.   

For more information on The Philadelphia Orchestra, please visit www.philorch.org.

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