Kulas Foundation Supports Cleveland Orchestra Tickets for CIM Students

For nearly a century, the Kulas Foundation has invested in the cultural and educational life of Cleveland, helping make the city a place where extraordinary music, learning and artistic experiences are accessible to all.

Now, through continued support for the Cleveland Institute of Music's Frequent Fan Pass program, the Kulas Foundation is continuing a legacy that began in 1940: giving CIM students the opportunity to regularly experience The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Music Center.

The relationship began nearly 90 years ago, when the Kulas Foundation purchased a box at Severance Hall for students from CIM and other area conservatories to attend The Cleveland Orchestra's 1940–41 season. What began with that box has grown into an enduring tradition that has allowed thousands of CIM students to experience the artistry of one of the world's great orchestras as an integral part of their conservatory education.

For CIM students, the opportunity is particularly meaningful because of the Institute's proximity to Severance Music Center and its relationship with The Cleveland Orchestra. Through the Frequent Fan Pass, students can attend eligible Cleveland Orchestra concerts throughout the season—and can even return to hear the same program more than once.

'Watching The Cleveland Orchestra perform every week has been one of the cornerstones of our conservatory experience,' said CIM Student Government Association President Nikolas Scheiber-Loeis. 'Our proximity to Severance Hall played a big role in many of our decisions to attend CIM, and The Cleveland Orchestra concerts have become an invaluable part of our musical education. The Frequent Fan Pass gives us the opportunity not only to attend concerts regularly, but to hear the same program multiple times and discover something new with each performance. Thanks to the Kulas Foundation, we can continue learning from one of the world's leading orchestras without having to worry about the financial burden of attending.'

'Few partnerships have had such a lasting impact on the musical education of CIM students as our relationship with the Kulas Foundation,' said CIM President and CEO Paul Hogle. 'The extraordinary generosity of the Kulas Foundation honors the vision of its founders, Elroy and Fynette Kulas, who understood that a thriving cultural community depends on giving people the opportunity to experience great music. Their legacy can be felt throughout Cleveland, and especially at CIM, where their investment continues to shape the lives and futures of generations of musicians.'

The Frequent Fan Pass is one part of the Kulas Foundation's longstanding investment in CIM. The Foundation also supports CIM's Visiting Artist Series, bringing internationally renowned performers and teachers to work with students in CIM's concert halls and classrooms. Most recently, the Kulas Foundation was a lead supporter of the renovation of CIM's flagship performance venue, Kulas Hall.

The Kulas Foundation's support reflects a shared belief that access to extraordinary artistic experiences is essential to a vibrant cultural community—and that CIM students, as the next generation of musical leaders, should have the opportunity to learn from the artists and institutions shaping the field today.

Nearly 90 years after the Foundation first opened the doors of Severance Hall to CIM students, that vision continues: students learning from the world's finest musicians, in one of the world's great musical cities.