Highlights
- Laurie Stearns Selby, retiring after 44 years as a Phoenix Symphony cellist, and her husband Tom Selby pledged $500,000 to the CRESCENDO campaign.
- The gift is directed to the Symphony's Community Engagement & Education programs, including Mind Over Music and health initiatives in schools and hospice settings.
- CRESCENDO is a $60 million campaign launched in 2025 as the Symphony approaches its 80th season.
- Board Chair Mo Stein called a gift of this scale from a sitting musician unprecedented in his tenure with the organization.
Laurie Stearns Selby, who joined The Phoenix Symphony as a cellist in 1982 and is retiring after 44 years, and her husband Tom Selby, a psychologist, have committed $500,000 to CRESCENDO: The Campaign for The Phoenix Symphony, the orchestra's $60 million capital initiative. The gift is directed to the Symphony's Community Engagement & Education programs and ranks among the most significant individual commitments to the campaign to date.
Selby, an ASU graduate who holds degrees in music performance, helped build the programs her gift now supports. She has been a central figure in Mind Over Music, a Symphony initiative that trains teachers to integrate music into STEM instruction and is described by the organization as the first symphony program of its kind in the nation. She has also worked with the Phoenix Symphony String Ensemble, which performs Classroom Concerts in Valley elementary and middle schools, and has brought musicians into homeless shelters, hospitals, hospice settings, and memory care communities.
"Tom and I made this gift because we believe so strongly in the Symphony's community engagement programs," Selby said. "After 44 years, this is not a sacrifice — it is a blessing to remain part of this work, and it is my hope that others across our community will join us in our commitment to ensure the future outreach of our Phoenix Symphony."
Tom Selby framed the gift as an invitation, saying the couple wanted the Symphony to continue with less financial pressure on its musicians and hoped others would feel moved to give.
Board Chair Mo Stein said a gift of this scale from a sitting musician was something he had not seen in his years with the organization. President and CEO Peter Kjome noted that the Selbys are investing in the work Selby helped build, in classrooms and hospice homes across the Valley, and said the commitment would move others to follow.
CRESSCENDO launched in 2025 as the Symphony approaches its 80th season. The campaign targets artistic excellence, education and community engagement, and long-term organizational sustainability. Information on the campaign is available at phoenixsymphony.org/crescendo.
Sources
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- phoenixsymphony.org retrieved 10/06/2026 22:18
- phoenixsymphony.org retrieved 10/06/2026 22:18
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 10/06/2026 22:18. Every claim traces to a source.
