Steamboat Symphony Board Chair Lara Craig said guests attending the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra’s winter gala fundraiser will be treated to a great event, but more importantly will fuel the organizations educational efforts in the community.

“We have this fundraiser so that we can build enough funding to support (our educational) programs and the professional instruction that comes along with it,” Craig said. “This fundraiser is dedicated to supporting those programs.”

This year’s gala features special musical guest Mia Asano and will take place at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 25 in Library Hall inside the Bud Werner Memorial Library, 1289 Lincoln Ave. The $175 ticket price includes a signature cocktail reception, delicious appetizers, and a curated silent auction. Guests will also enjoy a sit-down dinner accompanied by a performance by Asano, a violinist and rising star in the music industry, who offers an innovative style that blends classical traditions with the electric energy of rock, folk, and modern elements.

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The money raised at the benefit will be used to fund the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra’s educational programs including String Sprouts, Steamboat Springs High School Orchestra and the Immersion program, which meets twice a year.

“In a nutshell, I really think what makes us very special is the way that we consistently desire to connect with our community and provide the opportunities that they need, and also the opportunities they didn’t realize they needed,” said Jessica Lane, the symphony’s interim executive director.

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She added that the aim of the programs is to foster future musicians, but also plays a huge role in helping the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra connect with the community.

Funds from the gala will be used to fund the String Sprouts, a collaborative with the Boys and Girls Club of Steamboat Springs that serves students ages 6-9. The goal of the program is to reach children that wouldn’t otherwise participate in private strings instruction.

“We provide a classroom situation where students get free, for five years, instruction,” Craig said. “For A lot of the kids that attend the Steamboat Mountain School, their parents can give them the opportunity … but not all kids have that opportunity. We started String Sprouts so that kids who have an interest and can’t normally participate in private instruction or as a student at Steamboat Mountain School have this opportunity.”

Students in the program are invited to take part in the program for five years for free, but there is a $25 application fee. She said the orchestra provides the instruction as well as the instruments needed to take part in the program.

Currently, the program has seven students in a class started two years ago, and seven more in a class added this year.  She said the plan is to add a new class each year for the first five years, and then to replace the graduating class with a new class of students after that.

The orchestra also supports the Steamboat Springs High School Orchestra, which is funded by the Steamboat Springs Orchestra in partnership with the Steamboat Springs School District as a way to offer high school students an opportunity.

The class is taught by Teresa Steffen Greenlee, the orchestra’s concertmaster and education director, and high school music teacher Ryan Seyedian. The program typically includes 15-25 students each year.

The orchestra also offers Immersion Weekends twice a year for students of all ages and abilities. Students select ability-appropriate pieces from a list of provided repertoires and prepare their chosen pieces before rehearsals begin.  During Immersion Weekend, students come together under the direction of Steamboat Symphony Orchestra conductor, Ernest Richardson, and play alongside Steamboat Symphony Orchestra professionals. Funds from the gala will be used to supplement part of the cost of the Immersion program, with students responsible for $100 (early bird) or $130 of the cost.

Students at Suzuki Book 2 level and higher, or with strong note-reading skills, may also register to participate in a Chamber Ensemble, a program that runs alongside the Immersion Weekend. Students will be grouped by skill level and assigned a specific piece to practice and perform. The cost of this program is supplemented by the orchestra with students paying a $130 fee.

Craig is hoping to raise $100,000 for the gala to support these programs. The mission of the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra is to integrate the experience of orchestral music into the heart of our community, to deliver outstanding professional performances, and to provide music education that is accessible and compelling.

“Having a local community orchestra is also really vital for kids to see what they can aspire to be,” Craig said. “We have all these olympians who teach the kids, and the kids also look to them as role models because those people live in the community with us — so this is what the professional musicians of the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra provide: that role modeling and guidance.”