BANK UNDERWRITES SYMPHONY SERIES

Southeast Missouri State University is expanding its symphony orchestra and launching a symphony concert series thanks to a financial gift from Commerce Bank.

School officials said it is part of an effort to lay the groundwork for a first-rate School of Visual and Performing Arts.

The money from Commerce Bank, along with matching funds from the university and other donations, will be used to increase scholarships by $25,000 for talented students who play the strings, and launch a symphony concert series.

The current University Symphony will be expanded to include area musicians and renamed "Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra."

The exact amount of funding still must be worked out, school officials said.

Dr. Ken Dobbins, Southeast president, and Roger Tolliver, Commerce community bank president, announced the new concert series and its funding Tuesday.

"The expansion of our University Orchestra and our music scholarship program is an investment in cultural activities for our entire region," said Dobbins.

Tolliver said, "The music program at Southeast has been a good one. Commerce Bank hopes that by providing these scholarships we will be able to enhance the long-term reputation of the Department of Music and provide additional cultural entertainment in this area."

The current university orchestra will be expanded to include an additional 10 players, bringing the total number of musicians to about 70.

Having additional scholarship money will allow symphony director Sara Edgerton to recruit talented string students in the competitive St. Louis and state markets, and will assist in attracting students from Cape Girar-deau and Sikeston high schools, the only secondary schools in this region with string programs.

Funding provided by Commerce Bank will allow the symphony to bring in guest artists and conductors and develop special theme concerts.

Beginning next fall, the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra will present a concert series of major symphonic works for the 2001-2002 season.

A Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra Society is being formed to support future development of the orchestra.

Said Edgerton, " A symphony orchestra is a real treasure for the community."