PITTSBURGH - Former Allegheny Ludlum steel chairman Richard P. Simmons announced a $29.5 million pledge to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra today, one of the largest gifts ever pledged to a symphony orchestra. But the gift is conditioned on Simmons conducting three weekend series of concerts with the symphony per year. Simmons said he has no musical training and cannot read music.At a press conference this morning, Lawrence J. Tamburri, President and CEO of the PSO, immediately accepted the terms of Simmons' offer. He also openly embraced the idea of having captains of industry conduct the PSO in exchange for significant contributions. "So what if Mr. Simmons can't read music?" a defensive Tamburri challenged a reporter. "People will flock to see such a spectacle in the same way a car wreck draws onlookers." Tamburri flashed a crooked smile.
He said that such gimmickry likely will engender further creative efforts by PSO management to enhance revenue and manufacture interest in the orchestra's sometimes moribund programs. Future concerts could be led by other well-known businessmen who also know nothing about music but may be inclined to donate to the PSO, said Tamburri, including Donald Trump, George Steinbrenner and Hugh Hefner. "It is unfortunate that fast food chicken chain founder Colonel Harland Sanders is no longer with us," Tamburri opined. "One can only imagine the buzz that would have been created if he had led a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony."
Tamburri's mind was racing. "Why stop at this?" he asked rhetorically. "The PSO members could switch instruments for a concert. Imagine the excitement as the violinists play trumpets and French horns for the first time," he said. "More interesting, 50 lucky concertgoers could be plucked from the audience, furnished instruments, and asked to perform Mahler or Brahms. That would sell out Heinz Hall for sure."
"In any event, by including in the PSO's program an artist of Mr. Simmons' caliber," Tamburri said, "the PSO's management is proud to say that it is upholding the legacy of Reiner, Steinberg, Previn and Maazel."
