Former Kansas City Youth Symphony Director Fired Over Fund Misappropriation
Fired KC youth symphony director ousted from second performance group, nonprofit
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Image: Kansas City Star
Keith Stanfield, the former executive director of the Youth Symphony of Kansas City, has been dismissed from the Friends of the Opus 76 Quartet Foundation for allegedly misusing charitable funds. This follows his termination from YSKC for similar offenses, prompting both organizations to enhance their financial oversight.
- 01Keith Stanfield was fired from two music nonprofits for misappropriating funds.
- 02He allegedly used less than 7% of YSKC's funds for personal purposes.
- 03Stanfield founded the Opus 76 Quartet in 2017, which gained national recognition.
- 04YSKC is pursuing legal action to recover misappropriated funds.
- 05The organization is strengthening its financial policies to prevent future fraud.
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Keith Stanfield, a violinist and former executive director of the Youth Symphony of Kansas City (YSKC), has been dismissed from the Friends of the Opus 76 Quartet Foundation due to allegations of misappropriating charitable funds. According to Karen Donnelly, the foundation’s lawyer, an internal investigation revealed that Stanfield had fraudulently used the foundation's funds for personal purposes. This termination follows his recent firing from YSKC, where he was found to have misappropriated less than 7% of the organization's funds. YSKC, which reported nearly $1 million in total revenue in 2025, is taking legal steps to recover the misused funds and is implementing stricter financial oversight policies to prevent future incidents. Stanfield had joined YSKC in August 2023 and became executive director in January 2024. Meanwhile, YSKC is also facing a lawsuit from a former employee alleging discrimination and retaliation.
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The financial misconduct may affect the funding and operational integrity of both the Youth Symphony of Kansas City and the Friends of the Opus 76 Quartet Foundation, potentially impacting music education opportunities for local youth.
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