Noteworthy

Bruce and Maria Parker weren’t always devoted classical music fans. “Being part of the Baby Boomer generation, my wife and I were very much influenced by the music of the 60s,” said Bruce, “but by the time we began raising a family, our taste gradually moved to classical music, which we continue to enjoy to this day.”

In 2005 Bruce and Maria suffered a great loss—their 21-year-old son Michael passed away as a result of a tragic automobile accident. It was understandably a very difficult time for the family. It was also around this time that Bruce and Maria became TSO subscribers.

“The gentle ritual of arriving at Roy Thomson Hall for the Thursday night concerts—having coffee in the lobby before the doors opened, getting settled in our seats while the musicians did their last-minute adjustments, watching the Concertmaster arrive, and listening to the lonely oboe bringing unity and togetherness to the Orchestra—was always an uplifting experience. The next couple of hours of musical enjoyment brought us a much-needed comfort that helped us slowly build a sense of stability and continuity, which was so essential while we were piecing our lives together again.”

“It didn’t take us long to realize that we should express to the TSO our gratitude for helping us so much along our grieving process,” said Bruce. “It was therefore a clear decision to become members of the Legacy Circle and leave a gift to the TSO in our Estate. There would be nothing more fitting than making this contribution in the name of our beloved son, Michael Lawrence Parker.”