What started out as drinks with friends has quickly turned into a unique collaboration for two local businesses: The Bozeman Symphony and Blend, A Bozeman Winery.
“It was just a conversation,” said Norman Huynh, the music director of Bozeman Symphony. “I was having drinks at Blend with Lauren and Michael and we started talking about orchestras I’ve worked with in the past and I mentioned it’d be great to have a signature wine for the symphony.”
The idea intrigued Blend owner Michael Ruthland and general manager, Lauren Hutson. “Michael is a huge fan of Pinot Noir wines,” Lauren said. “So we decided we would go with that for the symphony’s wine.” And it has been a huge success too. This spring the wine was paired with a food platter that patrons could order and watch live stream concerts. “It’s great to market,” Norman said. “The concert season starts September 24 and guests can come have a drink before they enjoy the music.” The season will run through May and features 2 shows each month, a Saturday night show at 7:30 p.m. and a 2 p.m. show on Sundays. There will also be post concert receptions at Blend to build relationships with symphony donors. “This partnership has been great for both the Symphony and for Blend,” Norman said. The symphony plans to continue with the signature wine and would also be interested in building partnerships with other downtown businesses.
“The concerts bring in anywhere from 1500 to 2000 visitors to downtown Bozeman for each performance,” Norman said. “So it would definitely be a win-win.”
