Houston Symphony Endowment

A world-class city is judged not only for its size, diversity, and scope of business and industry, but also for its quality of life and cultural assets. For more than a century, Houston’s Symphony has grown alongside its namesake city and has been the cultural touchstone for our region. In a global economy, the eyes of the world are on us, and we must meet the needs of our thriving metropolis.

To achieve long-term financial stability, the Houston Symphony is seeking gifts to the endowment campaign. For additional information on bequests or to chat more about the different options to include the Houston Symphony Endowment in your will or estate plan, please contact Christine Ann Stevens, Director of Major Gifts, at Christine.Stevens@HoustonSymphony.org or 713.337.8521.

A 21st-century arts organization cannot be complacent

Hallmarks of our Symphony include:

The world’s finest guest conductors and soloists

Innovative multimedia concerts

Grammy Award for Berg: Wozzeck

Representing Houston through
international tours

"A great city like Houston deserves a great orchestra."

—John Mangum, Executive Director/CEO, Margaret Alkek Williams Chair

Create a named endowed fund to support an area
of the Houston Symphony important to you, such as:

  • Guest Conductor/Guest Artists Fund
  • Education and Community Fund
  • Classical Music Programming Fund
  • Popular Programming Fund
  • Fund for New Music
  • Touring Fund

A named endowed fund is a wonderful way to honor a loved one or to celebrate you or your family’s passion for the Houston Symphony. Named funds may be permanently established within the Houston Symphony Endowment with a minimum contribution of $250,000. The fund can be designated for general purposes or specific interests, some of which are listed above.

One of the most impactful funds you can create is a Permanently Endowed Orchestra Chair. Opportunities to permanently endow an Orchestral Chair begin at $1,000,000. Permanently endowing a musician chair provides the Houston Symphony with funds to attract, retain and support musicians of the highest caliber.

The primary aim of our endowment campaign is to achieve long-term financial stability by growing the endowment. Many endowment gifts are traditionally received through planned estate contributions. That is a long-term strategy that will provide ongoing influxes of funds. To realize the funding level we need at a bare minimum in today’s work, we must grow the endowment in the short term, which is why we are seeking direct gifts in this campaign.

Who We Serve

View our Houston Symphony Endowment Booklet to learn more about giving opportunities.