The gift will support the orchestra’s artistic programming, pension fund, and annual fund

In addition to supporting The Cleveland Orchestra’s artistic programming, the $4.6 million gift from longtime patrons Myrna and Jim Spira, will endow the Myrna and Jim Spira Bass Clarinet Chair, currently held by Amy Zoloto.

A longtime Cleveland business person who created a series of consulting companies, Jim Spira joined Cleveland Orchetra’s board of trustees in 2014.

Hailing from Cleveland, Jim’s interest in music started from a young age. Though his father was a dentist, he was also an amateur musician who played three instruments and shared this passion with his son. 

Jim and Myrna settled in Cleveland after the former earned an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania graduate school. They soon became active supporters of The Cleveland Orchestra. 

“It’s a privilege to be part of a community that has supported the development of an orchestra of this caliber in a city of this size. It’s a remarkable civic accomplishment,” Jim said on Cleveland.com. 

“I just grew up feeling that music is a very important part of human life,” he added. “Music frees you from a confined space and allows your heart and soul to move freely. It touches your heart in a unique way.”

The Spiras’ gift to The Cleveland Orchestra joins other large donations to orchestras and companies in North America — including the $14 million to the Toronto Symphony and the $60 million to the San Francisco Ballet.