The Philharmonic Center for the Arts is a non-profit organization established under the laws of the state of Florida. Our mission is to enlighten, educate and entertain people of all ages and backgrounds in Southwest Florida by presenting the very best of the visual and performing arts.

The Philharmonic Center opened 95-percent debt free in 1989 and has grown in net worth each season since, thanks to the generous support of the community.

The Phil is unique among arts centers in that it features both the performing and visual arts in a single complex and also hosts a resident orchestra. In addition to the 1,425-seat main hall and a 282-seat black box theater, the Phil has four museum-quality art galleries, which showcase traveling and exclusive exhibitions. Each season, the Phil is host to more than 400 individual events. Although the heaviest season is between October and April, the Center hosts events year-round, including summer children's presentations. The Center also provides programs for groups and schools.

The Phil has 445 full- and part-time employees, including a full-time administrative staff of 80, as well as several hundred volunteers. Our board of directors comes from a variety of business and professional backgrounds.

Both the main theater and the Daniels Pavilion at the Philharmonic Center may be rented by groups, schedule permitting.

A Message from our CEO and President Dear Friends, I am pleased to welcome you to the Philharmonic Center's wonderful 2011-12 season – and also to introduce myself. It is truly an honor to be entrusted with the legacy that Myra Janco Daniels has built here in Naples and to take the reins of such an esteemed organization as the Philharmonic Center for the Arts. Music and the arts have always been central to my life. I began playing the violin at age 4 and went on to earn a degree in violin performance from the Eastman School of Music. I come to Naples from the Schubert Club, Minnesota's first arts organization, where I was artistic and executive director. Before that, I served for three years with the Philadelphia Orchestra, where I was vice president of artistic planning, and for five years with the St. Louis Symphony, where I was vice president and director of artistic administration. It is particularly exciting for me, therefore, to be working with such a talented and versatile ensemble as the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, which this year celebrates its 30th-anniversary season.

We also present a fascinating array of exhibitions all season long at the Patty & Jay Baker Naples Museum of Art that you do not want to miss.

I welcome your thoughts – and look forward to getting to know you.

Kathleen van Bergen
CEO and President