BHHS Orchestra Receives Generous Anonymous Donation For Third Year

The Bloomfield Hills High School Orchestra program recently received a very generous donation from an anonymous, single donor. Over the last three years, by way of the Bloomfield Hills Schools Foundation, this donor has given $180,000 to the program, with $65,000 gifted in 2022. The donation is being used for special guest clinicians, small group sectional instruction, and free private lessons.

Orchestra director Scott Wolf reflects, “If you have the opportunity to provide a child with an experience versus a thing for the program, I always find that the experience is much more valuable than the material thing that you can buy. My belief is that those types of funds should go towards student learning. With this gift, we’ve been able to reach down to the middle schools and help to build up those programs, so that the entire string program from 6th through 12th grade becomes stronger and stronger each year. Over 100 students from the middle schools have already signed up for free private lessons, and we’ve been able to bring in guest artists to work with the students. We’re able to work with each section of musicians in the orchestra so they can learn their music in a faster way because they have that one on one experience, working with a professional other than myself.”

BHHS students are extremely grateful for the opportunities provided to them through this generous donation. Natalie Tsimhoni (grade 12) shares, “In orchestra we have time to learn to how to play together, and in the free lessons and the clinician time, we’re able to improve as individuals, which makes the ensemble better as a whole, and is also helpful for us in the future, because many of the students here end up continuing music in later life, both as a career and also on the side.” Charles Baker (grade 10) adds, “I’ve been wanting to take private lessons, and as soon as this came up, I knew immediately that I wanted to take it. It’s going to help a lot of students, and it’s going to grow the music program here through all the middle school students, to progress and come through the program.” Fiona Rudy (grade 11) reflects, “I fell very much in love with an instrument, and this donation helped me do that. I started the private lessons, and since last November when I started playing, I’m now in seven ensembles, on an instrument I had not even started as of last year, including three symphonies, two orchestras, and a band, in and outside of Bloomfield Hills Schools. A very big thank you! I don’t know if I’ve ever done anything as monumental as learning bass in my 16 years of life. It is due to that donation, that generosity, and that love of music!”

The Bloomfield Hills Schools Foundation is a 501C3, a non-profit organization, and their sole purpose is to enrich and enhance learning in Bloomfield Hills Schools. The Foundation accepts and appreciates donations of any size. Donors can choose directed giving, which specifies a particular program or school, or they can make a “greatest need” donation that will be used at the discretion of the Bloomfield Hills Schools Foundation. To learn more or to make a donation, visit bloomfield.org/support. Watch this video to hear words of gratitude and reflection from BHS Foundation Board of Directors Vice President Christine Tang, Orchestra Director Scott Wolf, and BHHS orchestra students. A giant thank you to the anonymous donor who has made this incredible gift, positively influencing the lives of student musicians across Bloomfield Hills Schools!