Several years ago, a colleague from a fellow arts organization and I were meeting to discuss a collaborative project. She had attended a LA Chamber Orchestra concert a few nights earlier, and her sharp observation of the listeners around her has stuck with me ever since: “I’ve never seen such a possessive audience,” she said. In just a few words, she defined the essence of the LACO community and pointed out what makes it so remarkable. When it later became my job to make the pre-concert, “turn off your cell phone” announcements, I took those words to heart and, Vin Scully-style, incorporated the phrase, “your Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.”

Multiple media platforms have made music more accessible now than ever. You can enjoy LACO performances online, on radio and on disc, but it’s remote access. To be in the room with the Orchestra’s fierce collection of talent is a visceral experience, where a musical energy field connects you to the players – and to your fellow concert-goers. It’s that bond that creates a real sense of ownership, and I don’t just mean figuratively. Almost three-quarters of the funding needed to produce LACO’s world-class performances and engaging community programs is contributed – and 70% of that comes from individuals like you, who donate over and above the price of a concert ticket.

By definition, that makes LACO your Orchestra, and because of your generosity, it belongs to all of Los Angeles and the world.

You can help sustain this indispensable cultural and community resource – and boost your tally of charitable deductions for 2014 – by making a gift before December 31. Donate online or call the LACO office up until 5 pm on New Year’s Eve.

Thanks for making LACO not only your Orchestra, but ours.