Kentucky dude
The Los Angeles Times' Marcia Adair tells quite the tale, of how Centre College (1,250 students) in Danville, KY (population: 18,000), lured conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Vienna Philharmonic for a concert date with bourbon, horses and persistence (not necessarily in that order):
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/09/gustavo-dudamel-and-vienna-philharmonic-go-to-kentucky-but-why.html