$30 million gift from the Arisons for NWS
New World Symphony (Miami Beach) has received $30 million from the Arison family through their Arison Arts Foundation. The endowment gift from the Arison Arts Foundation comes in honor of Michael Tilson Thomas, the founding Artistic Director of New World Symphony who was featured on the cover of Lifestyles Magazine/Meaningful Influence in 1996.
With this gift, the Arison Arts Foundation and the New World Symphony Board of Trustees have agreed that the concert space of the New World Center will be named in perpetuity the Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall. This support of the institution’s endowment marks past accomplishments and anticipates a bright future.
Of the gift, Lin Arison said “MTT and my family have been creative partners for decades. When he first told us of his vision for the New World Symphony, it was such a strong idea that my husband Ted and I could only say yes to taking the leap. Now I can look back with tremendous pride. Thanks to MTT’s vision and his thirty-five years of devotion, the NWS has been a major part of the growth of Miami and our 1,200 alumni are leaders in their musical communities, sharing his standards of excellence. As Michael makes the transition to Artistic Director Laureate, I wanted to support his dream and offer a gesture of appreciation and love by naming the hall for him in perpetuity.”
“I am deeply touched by this extraordinary gift from Lin and her family,” shared Michael Tilson Thomas. “Our collaboration has allowed young musicians to find their paths and has allowed my artistic life to grow and to flourish. I am so grateful that Lin and the Arison family have been my friends and partners for over 35 years.”
Of the gift, New World Symphony chair Will Osborne said, “This is the moment to celebrate the creative union between Lin Arison and Michael Tilson Thomas. Establishing the permanent association between a musician founder and a performance space links vision to reality. What a tremendous moment for Miami and for the future of live music.”
The announcement was made by Lin Arison. For Ted and Lin, the New World Symphony demonstrated their love of music and dedication to Miami. MTT’s vision was the creation of an educational environment where young musicians could find their own voices and have the time, support, and guidance for launching their musical lives. To date, nearly 1,200 NWS alumni are impacting communities world-wide.
Sarah Arison is the granddaughter of NWS co-founders Lin and Ted Arison and a longtime member of the New World Symphony Board of Trustees. As such and on her own merits, she carries on the tradition of support for New World and for the other arts organizations that her grandparents founded in South Florida. Philanthropy and the arts are the keystones to Sarah Arison’s philosophy.
Sarah Arison was featured on the cover of Lifestyles Magazine/Meaningful Influence’s 284th edition.
