Laurie Cohen, founder and director of the Mill Valley Philharmonic, which has been giving free concerts in several Mill Valley locations, says:
What keeps our orchestra afloat are the fine amateur musicians who play their hearts out; the generous audiences who donate to keep MVP playing free concerts; the foundations businesses who see our value as an organization that engages community; an incredibly hard-working board.
Even on the conductor's podium, Cohen finds it hard to believe how long the enterprise has been sustained:
We began as such a small group and have grown to such a large one, and one that is so appreciated by our communities. I don't like to think of us, at 15, as being in our adolescence, but then again, wasn't it Stravinsky who said that it takes 100 years to build an orchestra?We're going to have a bang-up season to celebrate our 15th, including a gala on the easy-to-remember date of 3/15/15.
The season: