Press Releases

January, 23 2009 - QCSO to host food drive

One person out of every eight in America does not know from where their next meal will come, and the QCSO and over 40 other orchestras are doing something about it. Inspired by the soon-to-be-released film, The Soloist, the orchestras are partnering with River Bend Foodbank to make a change. The movie stars Jamie Foxx and Steve Lopez in the true story of Nathaniel Ayers, a gifted Juilliard-trained string player who was living on the streets of Los Angeles. This film and the Orchestras Feeding America project are testaments to the power of music.

Internally, each of our ensembles is being asked to collect non-perishable food items. On February 22, our youngest ensembles, the Youth String Ensemble and Prelude Strings, will be performing their Annual Concert in Augustana's Centennial Hall. Both groups and the audience will be bringing in food items to be collected by QCSO volunteers and staff. Later that evening, the Youth Symphony Orchestra will bring items along to their evening rehearsal. A week later, on March 1, members of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra will begin rehearsals for their Masterworks performance the next weekend. They, too, will be bringing in items for the food bank.

But this food drive cannot be a true success without the community's support. At the QCSO's most recent Masterworks concert, the audience was asked to bring items back with them on March 7 & 8. They were even provided with reusable grocery bags to help with the carrying. "We're very excited about this opportunity to help those in our own community, as well as participate in what has become a truly national event," said Director of Marketing Jared Johnson.


	Press Release January, 23 2009 - QCSO to host food drive One person out of every eight in America does not know from where their next meal will come, and the QCSO and over 40 other orchestras are doing something about it. Inspired by the soon-to-be-released film, The Soloist, the orchestras are partnering with River Bend Foodbank to make a change. The movie stars Jamie Foxx and Steve Lopez in the true story of Nathaniel Ayers, a gifted Juilliard-trained string player who was living on the streets of Los Angeles. This film and the Orchestras Feeding America project are testaments to the power of music. Internally, each of our ensembles is being asked to collect non-perishable food items. On February 22, our youngest ensembles, the Youth String Ensemble and Prelude Strings, will be performing their Annual Concert in Augustana's Centennial Hall. Both groups and the audience will be bringing in food items to be collected by QCSO volunteers and staff. Later that evening, the Youth Symphony Orchestra will bring items along to their evening rehearsal. A week later, on March 1, members of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra will begin rehearsals for their Masterworks performance the next weekend. They, too, will be bringing in items for the food bank. But this food drive cannot be a true success without the community's support. At the QCSO's most recent Masterworks concert, the audience was asked to bring items back with them on March 7 & 8. They were even provided with reusable grocery bags to help with the carrying. "We're very excited about this opportunity to help those in our own community, as well as participate in what has become a truly national event," said Director of Marketing Jared Johnson.