The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on the newly named Simmons Family Stage at Heinz Hall.
In Wednesday’s (6/4) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jeremy Reynolds writes, “In recent decades, Richard ‘Dick’ Simmons and his family have contributed more than $50 million to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, which operates on a $34 million budget that runs primarily on donations. To honor the family’s contributions to the orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony on Wednesday announced that it would name the Heinz Hall stage the Simmons Family Stage during a performance with world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Naming or renaming performance spaces after significant gifts or lifetime contributions isn’t uncommon in the fine arts world…. Simmons, 94, joined the PSO board in 1988 and has served multiple terms as chair. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate, he became CEO of Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp…. He fell in love with the symphony and classical music when he began attending the Pittsburgh Symphony in 1968. His family has donated millions to other causes and nonprofits in the region as well, and he helped to found the Allegheny County Regional Asset District, which provides millions of dollars to local regional attractions, including arts organizations…. At the symphony, he was elected chairman emeritus of the board in 2002. His daughter, Amy Sebastian, is current vice chair of the symphony board.”
