The South Bend Symphony Orchestra is excited to announce the launch of a new Spanish-language website designed to make its rich musical offerings more accessible to the Spanish-speaking community. This initiative, a collaboration with the Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures (CSLC) at the University of Notre Dame, aims to remove barriers and broaden the reach of the Symphony’s programs and audience.

Launching September 2024, the new website will provide comprehensive information about upcoming concerts, educational programs, ticket purchases, and more, all presented in Spanish. This project underscores the Symphony’s commitment to inclusivity and ensuring that the joy of music transcends language barriers. By meeting people where they are, the Symphony hopes to foster a deeper connection with the diverse communities it serves.

“Our goal is to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all music lovers,” said Symphony Executive Director Justus Zimmerman. “By launching a Spanish-language website, we are taking a significant step towards making our performances and programs more accessible to the diverse communities we serve.”

“The CSLC is excited and proud to collaborate with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra on this important project. Now that the Spanish translation is complete, we will be working on several more languages with the help of undergraduate, graduate students and native speakers on the Notre Dame campus,” shares Alessia Blad-Miller Director of the Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures at University of Notre Dame.

The collaboration with the Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures has been instrumental in bringing this project to fruition. The Center’s expertise in language and cultural studies has ensured that the website is linguistically accurate, culturally sensitive, and engaging.

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About the South Bend Symphony Orchestra

The South Bend Symphony inspires the community with the transformative power of orchestral music in all its forms by producing 20 mainstage programs, serving more than 29,000 attendees annually. As the region’s only professional orchestra, the Symphony is committed to diverse sound and a robust arts community in Michiana that entertains and connects people to music.

In addition to being recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and other state and local arts funding organizations, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra is the recipient of the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County’s Leighton Award for Nonprofit Excellence, which recognizes the best-run nonprofit organization in St. Joseph County, Indiana.

For questions or media appearances, please contact Sarah Perschbacher, sperschbacher@southbendsymphony.org or 574-230-4875

About the Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures

The Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures (CSLC) aims to support language learners at the University of Notre Dame by facilitating meaningful experiences with linguistic acquisition and exchange – both in our campus community and abroad. We believe that access to the world’s languages and cultures allows us to seek out new perspectives, to value the diversity of the world’s cultures, and to embody global citizenship.

www.cslc.nd.edu