Continuo Society

A cultural jewel in Inland Southern California, in addition to a full annual season of soul-stirring concerts, the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra is educating the next generation of music aficionados. More than 3,000 students attend our free concerts for the schools every year, every third-grade class in the San Bernardino City Unified School District receives music education workshops from our docents, and our Maestro regularly visits middle, high school, and college music classes. In 2021, we even added a Youth Wind Ensemble performance group; in 2024, we plan to establish a Youth Strings Ensemble! Further, the San Bernardino Symphony dramatically enhances the region's quality of life and economic vitality... an estimated $2 million dollars in the San Bernardino area each year!

To achieve these milestones, the Symphony has benefitted from the generosity of many devoted patrons of the arts. Some of the most memorable are those who are no longer here to witness the fruits of their donations.

In 2004, we received a significant bequest from the estate of Marjorie Jones. Then in 2007, we received a $1M bequest from the estate of former Board of Directors Member Frank Plash. Later that same year, a second generous bequest was received from the estate of Evelyn Magnuson whom we remember each year with her requested performance of a Mozart composition. With these initial gifts, our Continuo Society was born.

Several notifications of the Symphony's inclusion in pending bequests were received over the years. So in 2011, an account was established at the Inland Empire Community Foundation to invest future legacy gifts received without their own established endowment or trust. Then in early 2019, the Symphony was thrilled to receive notification of a $2M bequest from the estate of Sharrell Paramo.

Today, interest from our endowments funds more than ten percent of our annual operating budget!

Our mission-driven goal is to sustainably provide accessible music and music education in perpetuity. Therefore, new gifts and bequests are needed to enable the organization to thrive, attaining even greater heights of artistic excellence and uplifting our community and region through the arts.

Please consider making an enduring gift through participation in the Continuo Society.

Your gift can be pledged, naming the Symphony an insurance or retirement plan beneficiary. Or it can be a part of your will or trust. Gifts can also be planned annual or year-end donations given in honor of - or in memory of - a loved one.

You define how your gift is used, be it toward an educational initiative... toward the performance of works by your favorite composer or genre of music... toward a named seat in the orchestra... or even toward general operations. The Symphony also accepts gifts of real estate and other tangible assets.

If you do not already have an estate plan, please note, that Symphony maintains relationships with a number of excellent local estate attorneys who can assist you to create a Charitable Gift Annuity or Charitable Remainder Trust.

All contributors will be enrolled in the Symphony’s Continuo Society and recognized in concert program books and on our website thereby inspiring others to join and be a part of a 'musical movement' to keep the music alive for years and years to come.

It's very easy to do! Become a Member of the Continuo Society today.

CONTINUO SOCIETY MEMBERS

Tobin and Erin Brinker

Barbara K. Duff*

Mark Edwards and Lori Beach

Drs. Jay Fiene and Jan Muto

Drs. Carolyn Eggleston and Thom Gehring

John Gates

Mary Lou Gross*

Clark H. and Marjorie L. Jones*

Evelyn Magnuson*

Chester and Desiree Marcell