A collection of sheet music spanning half a century will be donated to Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music.

The sheet music, previously owned by the now defunct Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, was redistributed to Setnor by M&T Bank. The orchestra filed for chapter seven bankruptcy in the spring after failing to raise enough funds to keep operations afloat.

M&T took possession of the orchestra’s remaining assets shortly after the organization’s closing in April. The sheet music was the ‘most valuable, most fragile part of what the orchestra owned,’ said Patrick Jones, director of Setnor.

The sheets of music are scrawled with individualized notes and markings from the various conductors that directed the orchestra during the organization’s 50-year history, Jones said.

‘It ultimately becomes priceless,’ he said.

A location has not yet been identified to best house the material, though Jones said he anticipates the collection will occupy a space equal to the size of multiple storage rooms. The space must be, among other things, climate-controlled.

The School of Information Studies will partner with Setnor to preserve the sheet music. Jones said he was notified Setnor would receive the redistributed sheet music on Tuesday, following discussions with M&T bank during the summer.

Allen Naples, regional president for M&T Bank’s Central region, said Setnor, through Jeff Comanici, assistant dean for advancement in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, reached out and expressed interest in receiving the sheet music.

Comanici said Setnor was willing to ‘receive the assets and store them for the community.’

The bank received inquiries from organizations and orchestras outside the immediate area vying for the sheet music and other assets previously owned by the SSO, but wanted to keep the items within the community. Naples also said the bank, which had a long history with the orchestra, chose to donate the items to the community rather than liquidating the assets to offset the organization’s loans.

In addition to the sheet music, Setnor will also receive instruments used for the Syracuse Youth Orchestra and Syracuse Youth String Orchestra. The SYO and SYSO, which previously operated under the SSO, now function from the university.

The Onondaga Historical Association received items such as vinyls, CDs and the orchestra’s archives, Naples said. The historical association works to share an understanding of the city’s history with current residents, according to the association’s website.

Equipment including a Steinway piano, two other pianos and percussion instruments were redistributed to the Cultural Resources Council of Syracuse and Onondaga County, Naples said. The council focuses on the vitality of Syracuse’s arts community, according to the council’s website.

Should another professional orchestra establish a presence in the city, the council will then lease the instruments to the organization, Naples said.

The bank has not attempted to quantify the amount of sheet music or place a dollar amount on the worth of the SSO’s assets, which now sit in a vault controlled by the bank. Naples said he anticipates the transfer of sheet music to Setnor will take place within the next 30 to 45 days.

dbtruong@syr.edu 

Published on October 4, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Debbie: dbtruong@syr.edu | @debbietruong