Create a Legacy

At The Cleveland Orchestra, music is our legacy

Create a Legacy of Music

At The Cleveland Orchestra, music is our legacy. Musicians honor this legacy with every powerful performance. Audience members uphold it with every concert they attend. But it's you, our passionate, dedicated supporters, who sustain the music for future generations. Your gift strengthens our neighborhood partnerships, supports our unparalleled musical artistry, and carries on a legacy of music for every person in our community. To learn more about these opportunities, contact our giving team at legacy@clevelandorchestra.com or 216-456-8400.

Featured Member

Bracy E. Lewis

"The Cleveland Orchestra is an important part of my life. I’ve been fortunate to sit in the same seat at Severance for 40 years, and have built a community in my weekly ritual of attending concerts. The people who sit on either side of me have become good friends, and over the years we have shared rich conversations about music and life.

I truly can’t think of a better way to spend my Saturday evenings – and that’s why I joined the Heritage Society.

I’m passionate about seeing more people who look like me experience this incredible orchestra. As the Orchestra receives more support, its reach grows, which means more Black communities across our region will have access to this Northeast Ohio jewel.

It’s important to me that when I’m gone, my community is taken care of. And supporting the Orchestra is how I do that. It’s my hope that because of my gift, future generations will be able to have the same experience I have: a life enriched by music and the company it brings.”

Heritage Society

The Heritage Society recognizes dedicated supporters who have entrusted their legacy with The Cleveland Orchestra by including the Orchestra in their estate plans.

Learn More

Wills & Living Trusts

Just one sentence can make an enormous impact. Include The Cleveland Orchestra in your will or living trust and ensure future generations will continue to enjoy life-changing music.

Beneficiary Designations

Build a lasting legacy that will strengthen your community by naming The Cleveland Orchestra as the beneficiary of your IRA or life insurance policy.

Charitable Gift Annuities

Charitable Gift Annuities make it possible for you to support The Cleveland Orchestra while ensuring you’ll have dependable income in your retirement years. With this type of donation, you may qualify for a variety of tax benefits, including a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize.

Charitable Remainder Trust

A charitable remainder trust is a good choice if you want the option of reliable payments and have built a sizable estate. You may also qualify for tax benefits.

Charitable Lead Trusts

Do you want to leave assets to your family but see the benefits of your donation at work today? A charitable lead trust might be right for you!

Learn more

The Cleveland Orchestra Endowment

A strong endowment powers the music every year. Thanks to the generosity of this community, proceeds from The Cleveland Orchestra endowment cover 19% of the Orchestra’s operating costs each year. Your donation to the endowment is a powerful way to create a legacy of music in our community.

Endowed Funds

Have you found your passion at The Cleveland Orchestra? Maybe it’s an education program that inspired you when you were a child, or an artistic initiative that has touched your life in recent years. You can name a fund for your family, a loved one, or a program, thereby creating an enduring gift of music.

Endowed Chairs

We welcome you to endow a musician’s chair, creating a lasting connection to the musician and to the Orchestra as a whole. Endowed chairs provide the Orchestra a firm financial foundation for the future.