Naples Philharmonic Orchestra

Myra Janco Daniels, Fundraiser

When two of the most important people in Myra's life - her husband Dan, and her friend Goldie in Terra Haute - passed away within the same year, Myra found herself at loose ends and looking for something to do. While she sometimes thought of returning to Chicago to work, she would wonder to herself "What can I do to make my world a better place?"

In the early 1980s, Myra became involved with a small orchestra on Marco Island. She was impressed by the group's musical abilities, but learned that the orchestra was in financial trouble. Myra parlayed her advertising prowess into Fundraising, and immediately started making calls to raise money for the orchestra.

She immediately started setting up meetings with potential donors, and once they had a financial base, recruited an experienced conductor for the orchestra: Walter Hendel. He had been one of Myra's heroes while growing up, so she flew out to Dallas to meet him. 

He agreed to come to Marco and conduct concerts four times a year, and connected Myra with many of the other people who would go on to play an important role in the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. 

By Mid - 1990, the orchestra was nationally recognized, had appeared on PBS specials, and had accompanied such renowned singers as Luciano Pavarotti and Dmitri Hvorostovsky.