Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Dear Friends of the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Ballet and Cincinnati May Festival:

As it has been over a month since our last communication regarding the Music Hall revitalization project, we'd like to take this opportunity to provide you with a brief update.

First, though, we wanted to once again express our gratitude on behalf of the entire Music Hall family for all the support during our outreach to Cincinnati City Council at the end of June. Although Council appreciates the importance of this project, it was nonetheless valuable that they saw the depth of commitment that exists within the community.

During its final meeting before the summer recess, the City committed $10 million to the revitalization. The next step in this process is to craft a public-private partnership - including the ownership structure - that unlocks the entertainment and economic potential of Music Hall in a manner that makes sense for the Orchestra, Opera, Ballet, May Festival and the City, as well as the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood and the community at large. The Music Hall Revitalization Company's efforts over the past month or so have focused on finalizing that partnership, working closely with the City to achieve an agreement acceptable to both the City and the project's potential lead donors.

While complex issues remain, discussions are moving forward in an atmosphere of cooperation and sincerity. We are all fully aware of the transformational opportunities of a revitalized Music Hall to not just the resident companies but to the City and the region. While everyone would like this process to move quickly, it is much more important to get the partnership right than to simply get it done.

In parallel with the City discussions, each resident company is also evaluating its schedules for the coming years based on the near certainty of a delay in the start of the project. You'll recall from past communications that the pacing of the Music Hall revitalization is based on a variety of factors, ranging from performance calendars and construction imperatives to tax credit applications and fundraising. As is the case with the City partnership, these issues are being addressed in a manner that values diligence over speed, but with a healthy dose of urgency.

Finally, we feel it necessary to provide clarification relative to a statement made in the media recently which speculated that over half of the Music Hall project cost had already been committed by a single donor. We have no knowledge of a gift of that magnitude, so will continue to look to the community, as well as other sources of funding, to make our dream for Music Hall a reality.

It was wonderful to see so many people come out for our celebratory concert in the revitalized Washington Park this past Friday night with Music Hall as the spectacular backdrop. As we've stated before, you are Music Hall's most important spokesperson. We encourage you to be an advocate, promoting the best interests of our treasured venue. This is a critical juncture in the life of the building. The need is great, but we believe with the support of the entire community, Music Hall will continue to be a great Cincinnati icon for generations to come.

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