At the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra: from left, Kevin John Edusei, principal guest conductor; Keith Cerny, president and CEO; Mercedes Bass, board chair; Robert Spano, music director. Photo courtesy of FWSO.
“The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra’s 2022-23 season raises the curtain on a transformative ‘new vision,’ defined by heightened artistic excellence and directed at international acclaim,” writes Marice Richter in the December 28 Fort Worth Business Press. “The driving force behind this ambitious initiative is philanthropist Mercedes Bass, chairwoman of the orchestra board and a longtime classical music aficionado. ‘There is no reason that Fort Worth should not have the best,’ she said in an interview. ‘You can’t just have a vision. You have to have a plan and it is our hope that we will reach our goal.’ A native of Tehran, Iran, Bass was” formerly married to Sid Bass, “a member of Fort Worth’s billionaire Bass family … and moved to Fort Worth in 1992.… Besides being board chair of the Fort Worth Symphony, she is vice chair of the Artistic Initiatives, Joint, and Strategic Planning committees. The cornerstone of turning her symphony vision into reality was the hiring of Keith Cerny as president and CEO; Maestro Robert Spano as music director; and Kevin John Edusei as principal guest conductor.”
