Giving Back to the City They Love
Nancy and Bruce Silverman know that the arts do more than entertain—they help define a city. That belief led the longtime Los Angeles residents to join the Clark Society by including the LA Phil in their estate plans, helping ensure future generations can experience the same joy and inspiration music has brought to their lives.
Shortly after Walt Disney Concert Hall opened in 2003, Nancy and Bruce were drawn by its striking architecture and the promise of a new cultural landmark. They subscribed, though some early concerts challenged their expectations. “There was one with banging garbage cans,” Bruce laughs. “I grew up in New York with banging garbage cans—I didn’t need a reminder.”
Then came an unexpected phone call offering discounted seats for a new subscription package. They decided to take a chance—and loved every concert that season. “We realized how incredibly lucky we were to have this great orchestra, this great programming, right here in Los Angeles,” Nancy recalls.
That gratitude has only deepened. “I use the word lucky,” Bruce says. “We feel lucky to have this incredible resource that we can listen to and enjoy.” They remain devoted subscribers, attending pre-concert lectures that make them, as Bruce puts it, “a little bit smarter” and put them in the right frame of mind for the music.
Nancy agrees that the LA Phil has become an essential part of their lives: “If you’re going to live in a city, you need to use the city—and help it.”
Their connection to the LA Phil stretches beyond the Hall. For 40 years, the Silvermans subscribed at the Hollywood Bowl, starting with seats “up in the trees” and gradually moving closer. Then came another memorable call: would they like to cross into “the Promised Land,” as Bruce puts it. Soon, they were enjoying concerts from one of the Bowl’s coveted boxes.
Music has become woven into their lives. They have treasured behind-the-scenes tours of the LA Phil Music Library, seeing how every part is meticulously prepared, or of Walt Disney Concert Hall’s organ, crawling through its intricate network of more than 6,000 pipes. They delight in hearing favorite composers alongside new discoveries, and Nancy even returned to the flute, which she had not studied since childhood.
After successful careers in advertising and radio, Bruce and Nancy understand that ticket sales alone cannot sustain great cultural institutions. With four grown children well established, gift planning felt like a natural next step—supporting an organization they love while helping Los Angeles remain culturally vital.
Their legacy gift will help sustain artistic excellence, access to music for all, and programs like YOLA that open doors for young people across the region. “We want to know we made a contribution,” Bruce says, “to the community, to the organization, and to keeping it healthy and vibrant.”
To learn more about joining John Monahan as a member of the LA Phil’s Clark Society, reach out to us today at legacy@laphil.org.