New World Symphony, America's Orchestral Academy, Announces $500,000 Gift

The Fund for New Ventures will provide the New World Symphony (NWS) with artistic risk capital to fund innovative new programs, projects, productions, and experiments at their earliest stage of development. Long-time supporters of New World Symphony, Robert and Diane Moss, established the Fund with a generous gift of $500,000 from their donor-advised fund at The Miami Foundation, the Helena Rubinstein Philanthropic Fund.

At cultural institutions, ideas and projects usually need to be accommodated within the constraints of an annual operating budget. A dedicated source of artistic risk capital is a rare phenomenon in the field. Says NWS President and CEO Howard Herring, "Bob and Dede Moss understand the complex process that takes an artistic project from dream to reality. With the Fund for New Ventures, they are investing in that process at New World. We are grateful for their trust." The fund will support and enhance NWS's ability to be nimble and responsive in an ever-changing world, and to take quicker action on bringing exciting new ideas to the test and execution phase. The fund will also leverage the facilities of the New World Center and the expertise of NWS staff in pursuit of unique, authentic artistic and educational content.

"The idea of developing such a fund came to us when I thought about the freedom and flexibility that could be afforded to NWS via a dedicated resource for seed funding," says Mr. Moss. "We have the best facilities, technical support, and one of the world's most creative minds in the art form. Just imagine what more will be possible with a growing pool of artistic risk capital."

The establishment of the Fund will inspire others, both individual and institutional, to join Mr. and Mrs. Moss in investing in this concept, ultimately providing a robust stream of artistic risk capital that will enable projects and ideas of significant scale to come to fruition.

NWS Co-Founder and Artistic Director Michael Tilson Thomas says, "I often dream of projects that fit our mission but require risk. At the New World Symphony, agility has high value. The Fund for New Ventures will allow us to pursue strong ideas quickly and efficiently. This gift from Bob and Diane is a significant breakthrough in the process of bringing our ideas from concept to reality."

For more information about the New World Symphony's Fund for New Ventures or the concept of artistic risk capital, contact Maureen O'Brien, NWS's Senior Vice President for Development at 305.428.6730 or Maureen.obrien@nws.edu.

Robert Moss has had a distinguished career in the business world as a top corporate executive at Leaseway Transportation Corp. and later in acquiring, building and leading an international management development and consulting firm (The Mahler Company). He has also spent over thirty years as an advisor and board member to non-profits, primarily in education, social services and the arts. He has served on the Board of Trustees of NWS since 2001.

Diane Moss has been active in the world of philanthropy and volunteering for most of her adult life. She served as Executive Director, President and CEO of the Helena Rubinstein Foundation, which was founded by her great aunt, the cosmetics magnate Helena Rubinstein. In New York, she served on the boards of the Whitney Museum, the Caramoor Center for Music and Art and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In Miami she is a Trustee of the Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM).

The New World Symphony, America's Orchestral Academy, prepares graduates of music programs for leadership roles in professional orchestras and ensembles. In the 30 years since its co-founding by Artistic Director Michael Tilson Thomas and Lin and Ted Arison, NWS has helped launch the careers of more than 1,100 alumni worldwide. A laboratory for the way music is taught, presented and experienced, the New World Symphony consists of 87 young musicians who are granted fellowships lasting up to three years. The fellowship program offers in-depth exposure to traditional and modern repertoire, professional development training and personalized experiences working with leading guest conductors, soloists and visiting faculty. Relationships with these artists are extended through NWS's extensive distance learning via the internet. NWS Fellows take advantage of the innovative performance facilities and state-of-the art practice and ensemble rooms of the Frank Gehry-designed New World Center, the campus of the New World Symphony. Learn more about the New World Symphony at nws.edu.

The Miami Foundation partners with donors to champion their causes and improve local quality of life. Since 1967, we've done this by taking leadership on civic issues, investing in our community and nurturing philanthropy. Thanks to our more than 1,000 donors, we currently manage over $360 million in assets and have made almost $300 million in grants that create opportunities for residents, make Miami-Dade County more resilient and foster home-grown creativity. Learn more at miamifoundation.org.