by Carolina Buia

Past and present philosophers have viewed the study of music as vital to humanity. Aristotle said that music must be studied not just because it’s enjoyable, but because it “cultivates judgement and character.” Martha Nussbaum, University of Chicago’s professor of law and ethics, recently said on public radio that opera “creates emotions of love and reciprocity” and is vital to our democracy.

Perhaps Nietzsche was the most succinct: Without music, life is a mistake!

And make no mistake, Palm Beach Symphony’s long-serving CEO, David McClymont, has made it his personal score to ensure that music education is fostered early and throughout a child’s journey. “As a father of four, investing in our youth is paramount,” says McClymont. “The Symphony’s goal is to make classical music relatable, affordable and welcoming to people of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life.”

The Symphony’s programs have reached over 100,000 students in the community through concert series, artists-in-residence programs, and STEAM nights at the Cox Science Center and Aquarium. Last December, at its ninth annual Holly Jolly Symphony Fête at the Kravis Center, the Symphony’s elves presented 31 instruments—including 27 brand-new ones—to students and educators from three Palm Beach County Title I schools that participate in the Paul & Karen Levy Residency Program. This donation included the milestone 1,000th instrument gifted since the donation program began in 2016.

Another powerful initiative is the Lisa Bruna B-Major Award, which gifts an advanced level instrument or major accessory to up to three high school seniors annually who intend to pursue music at the college, university or conservatory level. The B-Major Award was launched in 2018. In a bittersweet move, McClymont renamed it the Lisa Bruna B-Major Award the following year in honor of Bruna, the Symphony’s former Marketing and Communications Director, after she passed away from cancer.

Its first recipient, Valentina Paolucci, received a Cremona copy violin made in Italy circa late 1700s—early 1800s. “This instrument, with its beautiful dark tone, propelled me to new heights,” says Paolucci. “No matter how much you practice, you can’t get to a certain quality of sound without help from the instrument itself. I was in high school, working two jobs, waking up at 6 AM just to practice before school, trying to save for an instrument. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t save up enough by the time college auditions came around. I was very frustrated using my student violin before I won the award.”

Paolucci accepted a full ride to study violin at the The Frost School of Music at the University of Miami and later completed a master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting at Juilliard, also on a full ride. Today, Paolucci conducts and performs around the world; she pays her good fortune forward as co-founder of Through the Staff, a non-profit offering free music lessons to underprivileged children. “Palm Beach Symphony changed my life,” says Paolucci. “Today, I’m committed to bringing people together through music and helping others discover the same joy, confidence, and opportunity that Palm Beach Symphony gave me.”

Ready to start the Symphony’s newest season, McClymont is looking forward to setting a community engagement record. “We hope to see everyone from students to teachers to surfers to CEOs in our audience,” he says. “Our ambitious, seven-show Masterworks Concert Series features some of the finest soloists in the world, as well as the world premiere of our Music Director Gerard Schwarz’s new Symphony. This is a season built to celebrate where we’ve been and where we’re going.”

If you have an instrument to donate, please contact the Palm Beach Symphony at 561-655-2657.