wellnessfitproThe money comes at a time when “the arts live on a knife’s edge,” the company’s artistic director said
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/boston-ballet-Mikko-Nissinen-090226-32be4dd9bcd1491c96a024e14ebac5b0.jpg "Mikko Nissinen")
Credit: Josh Reynolds for The Washington Post via Getty; Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Someone made a $10 million anonymous donation to the Boston Ballet, the dance company announced this week
- The gift honors the organization’s longtime artistic director, Mikko Nissinen, and will endow his position
- In a statement, Nissinen pointed to the “challenging” times facing performers and organizations, not only in the world of ballet
Someone just gave the Boston Ballet the largest donation in its 60-year history.
The total? $10 million.
The benefactor’s identity? Unknown.
The company announced on Tuesday, Sept. 1, that it had received a $10 million endowment — a gift in honor of Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen that will endow his position specifically, according to a news release.
The money was given by “an anonymous, long-time patron” of the organization who found themselves “inspired” by its transformation during Nissinen’s time there, according to the news release.
Nissinen, who has been with the company for 25 years, in a statement called the donation “a testament to the strength and impact” of ballet.
Credit: Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty
“I am honored and grateful for this generous gift to assist in securing Boston Ballet’s future. A gift of this size is a testament to the strength and impact of our beloved organization,” he said.
The money, he continued, “will have a meaningful and lasting impact on our ability to continue performing and operating at the highest standards.”
The Boston Ballet said in Tuesday’s announcement that the anonymous donation is part of a larger ongoing effort to strengthen the organization’s finances and get its endowment to $100 million.
The company has seen its audiences grow since the COVID-19 pandemic that caused chaos across public life, including with the performing arts. But ticket sales fund just one-third of operations.
Credit: Josh Reynolds for The Washington Post via Getty
In Tuesday’s news release, Nissinen cited the “challenging” times facing performers and organizations, not only in the world of ballet — while explaining why the donation is more important now than ever.
“[A] larger endowment gives Boston Ballet more breathing room and relieves pressure on the annual operating budget,” he said.
“The arts live on a knife’s edge,” he said, “and we are committed to evolving our business model to safeguard this deeply human artform.”
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Founded in 1963, the Boston Ballet was “the first professional ballet company in New England,” according to the company’s website. Nissinen was appointed artistic director in 2001.
The new donation also comes after the performing arts have continued to make headlines in the wake of Timothée Chalamet‘s controversial remarks about opera and ballet, which ignited debate among performers and fans alike.
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