Michael Tilson Thomas
© Brigitte Lacombe
The New World Symphony announced a $30 million endowment gift from the Arison Arts Foundation in honor of Michael Tilson Thomas, the founding Artistic Director. With this gift, the Arison Arts Foundation and the New World Symphony Board of Trustees have agreed that the concert space of the New World Center will be named in perpetuity the Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall.
Of the gift, Lin Arison said “MTT and my family have been creative partners for decades. When he first told us of his vision for the New World Symphony, it was such a strong idea that my husband Ted and I could only say yes to taking the leap. Now I can look back with tremendous pride. Thanks to MTT’s vision and his thirty-five years of devotion, the NWS has been a major part of the growth of Miami and our 1,200 alumni are leaders in their musical communities, sharing his standards of excellence. As Michael makes the transition to Artistic Director Laureate, I wanted to support his dream and offer a gesture of appreciation and love by naming the hall for him in perpetuity.”
“I am deeply touched by this extraordinary gift from Lin and her family,” shared Michael Tilson Thomas. “Our collaboration has allowed young musicians to find their paths and has allowed my artistic life to grow and to flourish. I am so grateful that Lin and the Arison family have been my friends and partners for over 35 years.”
Founded in 1987 by MTT and Ted and Lin Arison, the New World Symphony’s mission is to prepare musicians for leadership roles in orchestras and ensembles. To date, nearly 1,200 NWS alumni are impacting communities world-wide.
