Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Woodruff Arts Center
Announce Plans For 12,000 Seat Amphitheatre North Of Atlanta

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (“ASO”) and the Woodruff Arts Center (“the Woodruff”)  announced plans to build and operate a 12,000 seat amphitheatre on 45 acres of land in Alpharetta, outside Atlanta in north Fulton County. The amphitheatre will be owned by the Woodruff and operated by the ASO.  In addition to the amphitheatre, long-range plans for the Encore Park for the Arts—established by a consortium of prominent community leaders in north Fulton County—include a performing and visual arts complex and education center.

Upon completion of the amphitheatre, projected for summer 2008, the ASO will become the only US orchestra to simultaneously operate two major amphitheatres.  For over three decades, the ASO has presented and performed concerts at Chastain Park Amphitheatre, an award-winning 6,500 seat venue in Atlanta. The investment by the Woodruff and the ASO in the new north Fulton venue will increase the ASO’s operating budget to more than $50 million, ranking it among the largest orchestras nationally in budget size.

“This project has been the long time dream of many community and business leaders in north Fulton,” said Woodruff President & CEO Joseph R. Bankoff. “They and the ASO deserve a great deal of credit for getting us to this day. This new facility will be a tremendous asset for north Fulton, and for all of Atlanta and the Southeast.”

The $35 million amphitheatre at Encore Park, which includes the land purchase and construction, will be paid for primarily through bonds issued by the Woodruff Arts Center—to be repaid through the operation of the amphitheatre—as well as a $5 million grant from The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, and two $1 million grants from the City of Alpharetta and the Fulton County Arts Council.

Pictured above (l-r) at the Encore Park signing: Don Fox, ASO Chief Financial Officer; Ed Tate, former General Counsel for Encore Park; Joe Bankoff, Woodruff Arts Center President & CEO; Mike Nixon, former Chairman of Encore Park Board.

“The new amphitheatre supports the overall mission of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and will have a positive effect on our financial health,” said Encore Park Task Force and ASO Board member Clay Jackson. “The project is part of our goal to expand our audiences through innovative programming and broader venues, while balancing artistic growth.”

“We are thrilled to see this project ready to become a reality,” said Penn Hodge, Vice Chair of the Encore Park for the Arts Board, “This started in part as a vision of the late Bob Fulton (former Fulton County commissioner) and continued on through the work of so many others. We are really pleased that the ASO and the Woodruff Arts Center understood that vision and have stepped up in such a big way.”

The Encore Park for Arts, anchored by the 12,000 seat amphitheatre, will be situated in the heart of Alpharetta, Georgia on 45 acres of land, acquired by the Woodruff in two parcels: one from Cousins Properties and the other from Duke Realty. The preliminary design plans for the amphitheatre call for covered seating for 7,000, with additional lawn seating that can hold 5,000 or more audience members. The design is expected to be completed by the end of March, with groundbreaking on construction by June 1.

“We believe the amphitheatre will not only be unique visually, but also will offer our audience a wonderful and memorable concert experience,” said Donald F. Fox, ASO Chief Financial Officer and executive in charge of the Encore Park project.

The amphitheatre, which is scheduled to open during the summer of 2008, will offer a variety of performances that showcase the breadth and depth of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, host an array of today’s leading popular artists, and offer community events that will broaden the ASO’s reach into north Fulton and beyond.

North Fulton Chamber of Commerce President Brandon Beach views the amphitheatre at Encore Park as a great addition to the quality of life in what is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. “This will be a fantastic addition to our community,” said Beach. “The convenience of having a venue of this caliber right in our own backyard cannot be overstated.”

To learn more visit the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra website at www.atlantasymphony.com