The Florida Orchestra has been awarded a $1 million gift from The Bailey Family Foundation of Tampa. The gift will be used to name the orchestra's assistant conductor chair, now held by Susan Haig, as "The R.K. Bailey Chair."
Endowment funds for the orchestra's benefit stand at approximately $3 million. Interest from the endowment funds offsets a portion of the annual operating budget which is currently $10 million. Funds support the orchestra's 130 performances per year, including the free Pops in the Park programs and Youth Concerts, which serve nearly fifty thousand elementary school children in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
