Orchestra Iowa launches fundraiser to bring Brucemorchestra concert back after hiatus

CEDAR RAPIDS — One of Orchestra Iowa’s most popular concerts could return this summer after a five-year hiatus if a key fundraising goal is met.

Brucemorchestra, first started in 2008, was an annual concert on the lawn of the Brucemore mansion in Cedar Rapids, where it drew upward of 5,000 attendees some years. Its 14th annual show, held in 2021, garnered about 3,500.

Since then, a few things have interrupted its return.

In 2022, the concert was canceled after being rained out twice. By 2023, rising production costs coupled with unpredictable weather led Orchestra Iowa to suspend the event entirely.

Since then, music lovers have clamored for its return.

But the previously annual outdoor concert is a risky endeavor for Orchestra Iowa. It costs the nonprofit between $100,000 and $200,000 each year — even if the event is canceled due to weather.

“Since I arrived at Orchestra Iowa, the one question I get more than any other is ‘When is Brucemorchestra coming back?’” said Eric Marshall, who started as CEO of Orchestra Iowa in July 2024.

Now, they have a chance to give it a jump-start.

A new fundraiser, launched Jan. 9, has a goal of $50,000 that, if met, will bring Brucemorchestra back on Aug. 29. The campaign will help offset the production costs of this year’s concert in conjunction with presenting sponsors Leland and Peggy Smithson, who have pledged up to $20,000 in matching funds.

Marshall hopes this year’s fundraiser will be a stopgap to help Brucemorchestra return on an annual basis with other dedicated sponsors and funding sources.

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“This is a litmus test, for me,” he said. “I said let’s make it happen the first year, and we’ll see how we can get it funded in future years.”

Generally, about half of Orchestra Iowa’s funding comes from sponsorships, grants and donations.

While sponsors in the past helped make Brucemorchestra possible, the concert always sustained net losses. Brucemorchestra costs about twice as much as other concerts hosted by Orchestra Iowa at its home in the Paramount Theatre.

“Every time we put on a concert, we lose money. For every single American orchestra, that’s what happens,” Marshall said. “At the Paramount, everything is built. When we go to Brucemore, while it’s beautiful, the facility has nothing that we need.”

He said Orchestra Iowa is working on future backup plans to move the concert indoors and mitigate losses during inclement weather. The nonprofit is also evolving how it plans events to minimize rising production costs.

While outdoor concerts are nothing unique to Cedar Rapids, Brucemorchestra’s reputation could be heard at other orchestras around the country — including those in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Austin, Texas, where Marshall worked before coming to Orchestra Iowa.

He said the event’s success was about more than the popularity of picnics and live music on the lawn.

“One of the reasons it’s so important for us is the approachability factor. A lot of people are intimidated by a concert hall — (they) don’t know when to clap, (they) don’t know what to wear,” he said. “When you go to Brucemorchestra, all those walls come down.”

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.