CSO, Munoz Kick Off Fine Arts Fund Campaign

Two-year-old Ainsley Cahill of Crescent Springs, Kentucky, was the first one to reach the stage to help unveil the 2007 Fine Arts Fund goal of $11,700,000 preceding a concert by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Sunday afternoon at Music Hall.
Cahill was one of ten youngsters who, signaled by a drum roll from the CSO, turned over placards to reveal the figure, which represents a three percent increase over the $11,360,053 raised in 2006.
The Fine Arts Fund, oldest and most profitable united arts fund in the U.S., provides operating support for eight member and ten associate member organizations. In addition, the fund administers a grants program that awards operating and project support to over 70 other organizations in the tristate each year.
Fine Arts Fund member organizations are Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Contemporary Arts Center, May Festival and Taft Museum of Art. Associate members are Arts Consortium of Cincinnati, Art Works, Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Fitton Center for Creative Arts, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and Madcap Productions Puppet Theatre.
The Fine Arts Fund has raised over $180 million since its inception in 1949.
The Fine Arts Fund kickoff event was a Latin-flavored CSO concert with a dance theme led by CSO assistant conductor Tito Munoz in his CSO debut. Guest artists were principal dancers Kristi Capps and Dmitri Trubchanov of Cincinnati Ballet in a slinky tango presentation accompanying Morton Gould’s Symphonette No. 4. The concert topped off Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend, an annual showcase of free arts events at venues throughout the tristate. This year's Sampler comprised over 200 events.
Munoz, 23, will lead the CSO in subscription concerts Feb. 24 and 25 at Music Hall.
The Fine Arts Fund continues through April 26. For information, or to contribute, call (513) 871-2787, or visit www.fineartsfund.org.