Vancouver Symphony Foundation

About

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s guiding principle is to create, curate and connect irresistible musical experiences with people in our diverse community, with artistic excellence at the heart of everything we do.

Since 1919, the VSO has presented passionate, inspired music to our community and brought world-renowned conductors and guest soloists to BC. Music education is a core element of our business practice and in 2011 the VSO became one of just a handful of orchestras in the world to open its own community music school.

Are you a regular concert goer, of classical or pops concerts, live soundtrack movie nights, and other special events, or do you believe in the importance of music education for people of all ages and levels of knowledge? Whether you are an avid VSO attendee or appreciate the value of having a world-class orchestra to entertain and educate, your investment in the Vancouver Symphony Foundation will contribute to a lasting legacy.

Our Impact

Beyond great entertainment, research proves that music has the power to enrich lives, educate, heal, reduce stress, and support our emotional well-being. So, when you support the VSO, your gift has far-reaching benefits for the community well beyond the concert hall.

The Vancouver Symphony Foundation was established in 1986 to provide the VSO—Western Canada’s largest performing arts organization—with stable and predictable funding in support of the orchestra’s current and future plans.

Each year the Vancouver Symphony Foundation’s support helps the VSO to:

Perform 150+ concerts in venues around Metro Vancouver
Employ a core of 73 full-time musicians and additional musicians as needed
Welcome the world’s most renowned conductors and soloists to our province
Offer 13 different education programs at the Orpheum or in public school classrooms that reach 50,000+ young people
Present free concerts that remove financial barriers and make music accessible to all
Play “no barriers” concerts that welcome members of the neurodiverse community who may be challenged by the format of regular concerts
Present “The Path Forward”, curated by our Indigenous Council, a celebration of Indigenous culture, resilience, and reconciliation
Enrich and transform the lives of over 300,000 people in-person, and tens of thousands more digitally

How your gift will be used

Donations made to the Vancouver Symphony Foundation support current and future goals, such as:

Providing the resources to attract and retain the very best musicians—maintaining the VSO’s status as a cultural ambassador
Advancing music education—supporting lifelong learning from infancy to our golden years, with the VSO in partnership with the VSO School of Music
Encouraging new and innovative music programming that helps advance the art form and maintain the VSO as a leader in our creative field
Providing the VSO with resources so we can offer life-enriching experiences to people of diverse ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds
Supporting webcasts, recordings, and tours to build the VSO’s reputation across Canada and abroad—helping to raise the artistic level ever higher