The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s IN UNISON program connects the SLSO with the St. Louis region, providing experiences and opportunities that serve as a bridge between diversity, community, and music. Bayer Fund is a key partner of IN UNISON, having supported the program since its inception in 1992.
Thanks to generous funding from Bayer Fund, IN UNISON champions diversity and connects the SLSO with African American partner churches in the St. Louis region. IN UNISON initiatives include the IN UNISON Chorus, whose powerful vocals are on display in the annual Lift Every Voice concert this month, and the IN UNISON Academy, dedicated to the next generation of musicians, music educators, and arts adminlsistrators. IN UNISON Academy provides opportunities for young African American students to study and explore careers in music though scholarships and paid fellowships, Young Artist awards for exceptional young singers to perform with the IN UNISON Chorus, and mentorships for middle and high school instrumentalists.
Bayer Fund prides itself on being an innovative philanthropic leader, guided by a commitment to play an active role in supporting people and communities in the areas surrounding its primary U.S. locations. Through its community development initiatives, Bayer Fund partners with a range of community organizations, including performing arts institutions like the SLSO, that offer youth development programs. Bayer Fund’s primary focus is to achieve maximum impact by assisting families and students in under-resourced communities.
This dedication to ensuring opportunities for youth in our St. Louis community inspires Bayer Fund’s longstanding support of the IN UNISON Academy. Through contributions to performing arts program like IN UNISON, Bayer Fund supports the education of young and emerging artists and provides access to live music productions in communities where Bayer employees live and work.
The SLSO is grateful for Bayer Fund’s partnership, which has been indispensable to the work of the IN UNISON program and to the SLSO’s continued focus on its mission: enriching lives through the power of music.
This article originally appeared in the February 2020 edition of Playbill.