01-05-2025
Organizers: Nashville Symphony fundraiser nets record $960K for education, programming
In its 20th year, the Nashville Symphony Fashion Show reached a historic crescendo in fundraising with a record-breaking $960,000 raised for education and community engagement programs.
The fashion show was held April 29 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, featuring a runway show of the fall and winter 2025 collection by American eveningwear designer Pamella Roland.
A performance by Vince Gill was considered a highlight of the show, Hall Strategies director Nancy Floyd said in a statement via email.
The event welcomed about 650 guests to the Schermerhorn Center.
Floyd said $660,000 of the proceeds raised will serve more than 60,000 students and adults this year.
The programs funded included:
Young People's Concerts, dynamic live orchestra performances and lesson plans tailored for K-12 students that reach thousands of students each year
Free Community Concerts, which take place each summer in parks across the region, connecting the Nashville Symphony with tens of thousands of Middle Tennesseans
Classroom visits from Nashville Symphony musicians to inspire students and introduce them to live orchestral music
Hands-on instruction and mentorship for local music students, including side-by-side performance experiences
And the Nashville Symphony's groundbreaking Accelerando program, which provides music instruction and mentorship to Tennessee students. The program prepares highly gifted young performers to pursue careers in music, and provides opportunities for musicians from diverse backgrounds who are underrepresented in today's orchestras.
Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@ and on X @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Report: Nashville Symphony fundraiser nets record $960K for education
