Thousand Oaks : Symphony Pledges $250,000 for Arts Plaza

The Conejo Symphony Orchestra pledged $250,000 Monday to the endowment supporting Thousand Oaks’ Civic Arts Plaza, matching the largest donation to date and boosting the fund to more than $1.5 million.

“I’m ecstatic,” said Tom Mitze, executive director of the plaza’s theaters. “It’s a great step forward.”

Raised by members of the Alliance for the Arts, the endowment is intended to pay a substantial chunk of the operating costs for the 1,800-seat auditorium and 400-seat forum theater. Fund-raisers hope to have at least $3 million in the bank by the time the performance halls open in the fall of 1994.

“The endowment’s creeping up there,” said Dick Johnson, executive director of the Alliance for the Arts. “The pledges seem to be increasing as the building goes up.”

Now in its 33rd year, the Conejo Symphony performs year-round, with regular concerts in the fall and winter and special summer performances in local parks. The group also sponsors the Conejo Youth Symphony and gives regular concerts in area schools.

In a statement announcing the pledge, Daryl Hill, president of the symphony’s board of directors, said: “All residents of the Conejo Valley will benefit greatly from the services and events offered by the Civic Arts Plaza, and the Conejo Symphony and its friends are pleased to participate in its ongoing support.”

Previous large pledges include $250,000 from Courtly Homes, a developer working on the Dos Vientos project in Newbury Park; $175,000 from the Lycon Group, another developer; $150,000 from GTE; and $100,000 each from Amgen and Lockheed.