SR-010808-13E13-E
January 8, 2008
Council Meeting: January 8, 2008 Santa Monica, California
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE -MEMORANDUM
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: Councilmember Genser
Date: January 8, 2008
13-E: Request of Councilmember Genser that the Council make a $25,000
donation on behalf of the City to Santa Monica High School to support the
school's Symphony Orchestra's performance tour to Europe in March 2008.
13-E
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December 1, 2007
Richard Bloom, Mayor
Herb Katz, Mayor Pro Tempore
City Councilmembers
City of Santa Monica
1685 Main Street, Room 209
Santa Monica, CA 90401
RE: Santa Monica High School Symphony Orchestra Tour
Salzburg ~ Vienna ~ Prague 2008
Dear Mayor Bloom, Mayor Pro Tempore Katz and City Councilmembers:
The Santa Monica High School Symphony Orchestra has been invited to participate in a
spectacular experience; to perform in Europe during their Spring Break, March 16-26, 2008, in
the footsteps of Mozart.
An eleven day, nine night tour will provide our talented musicians the rare opportunity to attend
a closed rehearsal of the Berlin Philharmonic and subsequent performance while they are on tour
in Salzburg. Our orchestra will play. Mozart, Beethoven and Dvorak before audiences of their
native lands, performing in such distinguished history-filled halls as the Shonbrunn Palace
Orangerie in Vienna, the New Concert Auditorium of the Technical University in Brno and the
Dvorak Hall in the world renowned Rudolfinum, in association with the Dvorak Festival's Youth
and Music Program in Prague. Our students will also have the opportunity to play in a peer-to-
peer workshop with students at the famed Janacek Conservatory in Brno.
We (the orchestra, staff and parents) are preparing daily for this opportunity. In addition to a
rigorous rehearsal schedule, we are helping the students organize and fulfill fundraisers to defray
costs for the trip.
Extensive fundraising activities between now and March have aheady begun, and will help
defray the costs for all participants. We have negotiated an excellent contract with the tour
company Perform America; the cost for the trip is $2,850 per musician. It is our primary goal to
reach out to every member of the orchestra to ensure that every student who wants to participate
in this fantastic opportunity be enabled to do so. Financial assistance to those who qualify is the
first need to be met.
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We are asking you, the members of the City Council of Santa Monica, to help us send these
dedicated musicians on the experience of a lifetime. You have been so generous in the past, and
we are most appreciative of the ongoing support from the City of Santa Monica. We are
requesting fmancial assistance from the City of Santa Monica in the amount of $25,000. These
funds will be used for financial aid for those students who qualify, for Samohi staff chaperones
including Principal Hugo Pedroza and District Arts Coordinator Tom Whaley, to ensure the
safety of our slixdents, and for concert venue and instrument rentals in Europe. Participation in
the trip is voluntary, however, maximum participation is crucial in order to represent the high
quality of the Santa Monica music program.
Enclosed, please fmd a CD of a recent Samohi Symphony performance for your listening
pleasure as well as material describing our exceptional orchestra ptogram.
Please let me know if there is any further information you require in order to consider our
request. Our musicians would love to have the opportunity to play for you at one of your
upcoming meetings, if you so desire. Samohi's diverse and award winning orchestra will
proudly represent our City of Santa Monica across the globe. Thank you in advance for your
considerations.
Sincerely,
Swenson
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Samohi Orchestra Parents Association
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enclosures
cc: Hugo Pedroza, Chief Educational Officer/Principal
Catherine Baxter, Dean of Students
Tom Whaley, SMMUSD Arts Coordinator
601 Pico Boulevard, Santa .Monica, Crl 90405 310.395.3204