Music to Everyone’s Ears: Ford Motor Company Invests in Historic Detroit Symphony Orchestra Asia Tour
- Detroit Symphony Orchestra to launch first international tour with Music Director Leonard Slatkin;
Asia tour will feature 11 performances in 10 cities
- Historic tour to include performances in Chongqing and Shanghai, enabling Ford employees there to
share directly in the orchestra experience
- Tour support reaffirms Ford’s longtime commitment to southeast Michigan cultural institutions and
company’s mission to enrich the communities where it does business
Ford Motor Company and Ford Motor Company Fund, the company’s philanthropic arm, are major contributors to what is shaping up to
be a historic adventure next year for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
For its first international tour in 16 years, the orchestra will perform 11 concerts conducted by Music Director Leonard
Slatkin, July 14-29, 2017. Five stops are planned for Japan, and five cities in China – including Shanghai and Chongqing, where
Ford has a major manufacturing presence. This will be the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s first visit to China.
“The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is more than a collection of talented musicians,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company
Fund and Community Services. “They are cultural ambassadors for our entire region. We’re proud to build on our long history of
supporting the orchestra by enabling new audiences to share in the joy of a performance.”
The China stops are expected to include engagement with Ford employees, continuing the company’s special connection to Detroit
Symphony Orchestra that dates back to the 1930s when it supported the group’s radio broadcasts. In addition to being the tour’s
lead corporate sponsor, Ford supports the orchestra’s innovative approach to reaching new audiences through free Live from
Orchestra Hall webcasts and Replay, an on-demand archive of more than 100 performances. Ford supports orchestra performances in
neighborhoods around metro Detroit.
Music will include Copland’s Symphony No. 3, Bernstein’s Candide overture, McTee’s Double Play, Gershwin’s
Rhapsody in Blue, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, Korngold’s Violin Concerto and Takemitsu’s Far Calls. Coming, Far!
The tour launches July 9 with a free afternoon concert at Orchestra Hall that will be webcast.
“This tour requires a strong collective of thoughtful and strategic partners,” said Anne Parsons, Detroit Symphony Orchestra
president and CEO. “I particularly want to thank Ford and all of our current supporters.”
Ford Motor China is home to the company’s Asia Pacific headquarters in Shanghai, as well as 10 manufacturing plants, including
five in Chongqing, and a regional research and development center. Last year, Ford sold more than 1.1 million vehicles in China,
the world’s largest automotive market. Ford’s community outreach there includes Conservation & Environment Grants China, which
has funded more than 400 environmental organizations to help develop their projects over the last 16 years.
Locally, investment in the orchestra’s Asia tour fits with Ford’s increasing support for Detroit and southeast Michigan
institutions. Ford and Ford Fund are investing $20 million in local educational and community programs for 2016. Investments this
year and beyond include:
- $6 million investment with UAW-Ford to fund Motown Museum’s Ford Motor Company Theater as a
state-of-the-art performance center, educational and community programming, as well as CARaoke Experience
- $5 million investment to build a second Ford Resource and Engagement Center in Detroit
- New three-year sponsorship commitment with The Parade Company – producer of both America’s
Thanksgiving Parade and annual Ford Fireworks
- $400,000 in support for Cass Community Social Services’ tiny homes neighborhood project to reduce
homelessness
- $200,000 Bill Ford Better World Challenge grant to University of Detroit-Mercy to create a mobility
application to connect underserved populations with local resources
Over the last 10 years, Ford and Ford Fund have made community investments totaling $161 million in the region.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about
203,000 employees and 62 plants worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing and servicing a
full line of Ford cars, trucks and SUVs, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. To expand its business model, Ford is aggressively
pursuing emerging opportunities with investments in electrification, autonomy and mobility. Ford provides financial services
through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products and services, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
About the DSO
Hailed by The New York Times as “cutting edge,” the internationally acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for
trailblazing performances, visionary maestros, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and an ardent commitment
to Detroit. As a community-supported orchestra, generous giving by individuals and institutions at all levels drives the continued
success and growth of the institution. A commitment to broadcast innovation began in 1922 when the DSO became the first orchestra
in the world to present a radio broadcast and continues today with the free Live from Orchestra Hall webcast series, which now
reaches tens of thousands of children with the new Classroom Edition expansion. Making its home at historic Orchestra Hall within
the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, one of America’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, the DSO actively pursues
a mission to embrace and inspire individuals, families, and communities through unsurpassed musical experiences. For more
information visit dso.org.
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and video, visit www.media.ford.com.
Todd Nissen
Ford Motor Company Fund
313.322.4898
tnissen@ford.com
or
Matt Carlson
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
313.576.5194
mcarlson@dso.org
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