Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) announced Tuesday, Sept. 12, that it is renaming the title of its music director to honor Andrea and Richard Gibb, with the Gibb Family Trust, for their $500,000 donation.
Maestro Stilian Kirov will be the “Gibb Music Director” for the rest of his tenure at the IPO podium, which will last through the 2026-27 season.
The Gibbs’s donation brings IPO to within $300,000 of its $5.1 million goal for its Campaign For the Future endowment drive.
The Gibbs have been supportive of IPO for decades. Dick has spearheaded a number of IPO partnerships with local corporations, and Andrea has helped deepen music education partnerships across the South Suburbs.
IPO Executive Director Christina Salerno expressed profound gratitude for the Gibb’s continuing vision and leadership:
“Generous of their time, expertise and spirit, Andrea and Dick are wonderful people and great advocates for IPO,” she said. “Our orchestra is lucky to have them in our midst. … We are humbled and touched to celebrate their gifts through the naming of Stilian Kirov as the ‘Gibb Music Director.'”
Dick Gibb said the couple chose to support IPO because of the many benefits it brings to the area.
“Music enriches our lives, contributes significantly to the development of youth and provides wonderful opportunities to develop friendships with like-minded people,” he said. “In our community, the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra is the premier source of classical music. We enjoy the professionalism of our players, appreciate the expertise of our staff, and take pride in our Board of Directors and their historical selection of truly talented music directors.
“Our current Music Director, Stilian Kirov, continues leadership critical to the continued success of the IPO. Andrea and I are pleased to support Maestro Kirov’s involvement in guiding the IPO to remain an important part of our lives and the quality of life in the southern suburbs.”
The campaign was launched on March 7, 2020, with a $3 million seed donation in 2018 by The Davee Foundation, creating IPO’s first-ever endowment. The campaign was created to build upon that gift.