Covid-19 Information
Dear ACO Patrons and Supporters,
2020 marks a historic year for us all. We are sadly familiar with lockdowns, quarantines, and even losses. For our Atlantic Classical Orchestra family, it’s all that and more: canceled concerts, silent music venues, and musicians out of work.
Over the last four years, we have seen our 30-year-old orchestra grow and exhibit enormous potential in the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach Gardens communities. The quality performances under the baton of Music Director David Amado brought new attendees to our concerts, as well as a renewed excitement from our longtime patrons.
Then COVID-19 upended our forward movement. It is with regret our board has made the hard decision to cancel the Masterworks performances of the ACO for the coming 2021 season for the safety of our performers and audiences.
But we need music now more than ever. So instead of merely staying in place until we can gather again for our Masterworks concerts, we will still hold our 2021 Chamber concerts and use the rest of our offstage time to launch a campaign that will help us build on our recent successes. In addition to offering the Chamber series at the Vero Beach Museum of Art, we will perform at a new venue in Stuart, and add a series in North Palm Beach.
“Emerging Brighter and Stronger” is our fundraising drive through 2022. The financial plan for the coming year with a goal of $1 million will help sustain a more vital orchestra that gives back to the community — the original mission of ACO founders.
Our costs have grown with our orchestra. The operating budget is $1.2 million annually — our staff works year-round. Ticket sales cover only 30 percent of our costs.
But the enrichment the orchestra provides music lovers in the area spreads exponentially. It can be measured in the interest from audiences that are growing with each performance, talent from elsewhere taking notice, and young performers expressing interest in the ACO.
This momentum is essential for us to expand our presence and programs, including special events and educational outreach, in order to safeguard the longevity and vitality of the ACO in the communities we serve.
For the 2021 Masterworks subscribers, we will provide a refund of your subscription or apply it toward our 2022 season. But you could also “pay the music forward” by donating your subscription to the campaign. Doing so would dramatically boost our necessary fundraising.
Even if you’re not a subscriber, you can help with a generous donation that will help us achieve our goal even faster.
Our strategy is to keep our ACO family and musicians healthy and thriving and to continue to enrich our community and inspire young talent. It’s members like you who will make sure we continue to grow.
Won’t you join us in our mission to be part of the Emerging, Brighter, and Stronger ACO, and pledge to keep the music alive?
Thank you for your support.
With gratitude,
Cindy Roden, Executive Director
For Ticket Donation or Ticket Credit, please contact
Kim Piston, Patron Service Manager
415 Avenue A, Suite 206, Fort Pierce, FL 34950
772.460.0851 | Kim@ACO-music.org
