President s Note. Newsletter February 2015 Proudly supporting the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. In this issue:

Transcription

1 President s Note Newsletter February 2015 Proudly supporting the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Ah, winter! We have snow days when we can t get out our homes, so we must find things to do! It may be past time to take down and store our Christmas decorations for next year, but not too late to begin thoroughly cleaning one room at a time. Is it the whiteness of the snow that encourages our cleaning? Whatever it is, we need to get going! After all that is done, perhaps it is time to catch up on letter writing and notes to friends and phone calls and, yes, even s. In January, we said goodbye to a wonderful CSPG member, Jane Beeder always the first to donate her unique jewelry to our auctions, one who volunteered to serve on various committees, a person who was on the go and seen at the concerts, meetings and anywhere and everywhere in Colorado Springs. She attended her first Circle of Friends meeting in December. Her death was a shock to everyone. She will be profoundly missed. The Nutcracker and Bavarian Christmas Dinner are behind us now and Treasurer John Meyer says we raised $5, for the Nutcracker and over $24,000 for the Bavarian Christmas dinner. Good work from your committees, Nancy Pittman and Roslyn Block! Jean Gronhagen s January Open House was a complete success for her 24th year! She is so generous to invite our entire Guild through our newsletter (always read it thoroughly!) along with her neighbors. The CSPO has moved into new offices on the third floor of Plaza of the Rockies and will shortly welcome Audrey Szychulski (pronounced Shi-HULL-ski) to the staff, taking Nancy Whitford s place as development director. Happily, The Ensemble Challenge was successful with over $100,000 in new or increased gifts that were matched by twenty or so generous families, bringing over $200,000 in contributions to the Orchestra. Looking ahead, it s time to start thinking about officers for next year. Our board is a great way for you continued on page 2 In this issue: Event calendar Fundraiser Reports The Importance of Education... 4 Treasurer s report Membership notes Philharmonic concerts February 2015 Newsletter guild.csphilharmonic.org

2 continued from page 1 to not only make friends, but share your talents and time to continue pushing our organization forward. Stay snuggled in this winter and look forward to our Membership Meeting in February when we will hear the scholarship winners at Graner Music, the perfect venue for young people, at 4460 Barnes Road Can t wait to see everyone there! Musically yours, Pamela Street, Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild Upcoming Calendar Feb. 10 Board Meeting 10:00 a.m. at the Cheyenne Mountain Propagation Co. 830 Tenderfoot Hill Rd. Suite ; contact Feb. 18 Membership Meeting; CSYSA Scholarship Winners Perform 9:30 a.m. at Graner Music (Barnes Rd.) Mar. 10 Board Meeting 10:00 a.m. at the Cheyenne Mountain Propagation Co. 830 Tenderfoot Hill Rd. Suite ; contact Apr. 14 Board Meeting 10:00 a.m. at the Cheyenne Mountain Propagation Co. 830 Tenderfoot Hill Rd. Suite ; contact Colorado Springs Symphonic Guild Board Officers Pamela Street, President Roslyn Block, Vice President, Special Events and Fundraising Marion Meyer, Marketing and Communications Nora Durham and Anne Young, Membership John Meyer, Treasurer Mary Martin, Corresponding Secretary Mary Ellis, Recording Secretary Committee Chairs Becky Whyley, Backstage Hospitality Robin Gates, Scholarship Linda Johnson, Programs and Locations Lars Gronhagen, Peachy Party Nancy Pittman, Nutcracker Boutique Roslyn Block, Bavarian Christmas Dinner 2 Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild

3 Nutcracker Boutique a Success! The 2014 Nutcracker Boutique was another huge success. Every single item was sold! Over $5,600 was realized for the Philharmonic. Thanks to the outstanding volunteers who filled 53 slots. A special thank you to the three Table Captains we had this year: Janice Simonton, Lars Gronhagen and Helene Knapp. Also, more thanks to Roslyn Block, John Meyer and the Philharmonic Staff. This was Nancy Pittman s last year as Nutcracker Chairman. After nineteen years she is retiring from this event. Nancy said I have been proud of the amount raised over the years ($71,600) and sincerely thank the long line of volunteers. The Guild has been fortunate to have Nancy s dedication all these years! She will be sorely missed! Bavarian Christmas Dinner The 5th Annual Bavarian Christmas Dinner was held on December 17 at the Briarhurst Manor. The event was attended by 175 people who were treated to traditional Bavarian entertainment while enjoying hors d oeuvres and Gluehwein and browsing the silent auction followed by dinner and the live auction. Thank you to all who attended and helped to make this year s event very successful! Chairman, Roslyn Block, wishes to thank the following Guild members for the personal donations they made to the silent and live auctions: Marilyn Miller, Charles and Mary Hotchkiss, Anne Young, John and Marion Meyer, Naamah Afrayem, Jean Gronhagen, Janelle O Keeffe, Helene Knapp, Gisela Hemphill, Molly Parker, Jane Cosper, Pamela and Bob Allen Street, Teri McAuliffe, Chris Conboy and our beloved recently departed Jane Beeder. In addition, the chairman would like to thank the following Guild members who went out into the community and secured donations from area businesses: Nora Durham, Naamah Afrayem, Anne Young, Bob and Lisa Rennnick, Janis Cross, Mary Martin, Pamela Street, Molly Parker, Marie Newbrough, Lars Gronhagen, Janelle O Keefe, Helene Knapp, Becky Whyley and Lynn Waite. The live auction delivered a very special moment when guest Sue Spears bid on the beautiful Fabergé Egg titled The Phoenix and donated by Marilyn Miller. Sue s house burned down in the Waldo Canyon Fire, and she renamed her new home The Phoenix, so it was very fitting that Sue would be the winning bidder on an item that has so much meaning for her. During a break in the auction, a special surprise performance by Michael and Cathy Hanson delighted the guests. This year s Bavarian Christmas Dinner and Auction raised a record of over $24,000 in support of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. We will present the check to the Philharmonic at the February membership meeting. Chairman, Roslyn Block, would like to thank the following committee members who worked to make this event possible: Pamela Street, Mary Martin, Janis Cross, Robin Gates, Marie Newbrough, John and Marion Meyer, Joyce Bean, Nora Durham, Lars Gronhagen, Bev Pirio and Lynn Waite. February 2015 Newsletter guild.csphilharmonic.org 3

4 Colorado Springs Philharmonic s Philharmonic Kids and the Importance of Education Former president and chief operating officer of U.S.A. McDonald s Corporation, Edward H. Rensi once said, In addition to learning the valuable lesson that it takes hard work to achieve success, music education can provide students with a strong sense of determination, improved communication skills, and a host of other qualities essential for successful living. Among these vital qualities, research has shown that music education enhances children s abstract reasoning skills, improves math, science, and reading abilities, and teaches creativity, self-esteem, and teamwork. Additionally, four large-scale, longitudinal studies all noted that the benefits derived from exposing children to the arts are greatest for children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds (NEA 2012). In addition to providing emphasis on the development of these crucial life skills, each Philharmonic Kids performance, presented by the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, strives to familiarize children with classical music, amplify schools music education programs, and inspire children to pursue music education opportunities. Each program is designed specifically to appeal to children and engage them in what may be their very first live orchestral performance. The Philharmonic s inaugural Philharmonic Kids Link Up performance will take place on April 2, 2015, an exciting new program in partnership with Carnegie Hall s Weill Music Institute. 4 monic Kids presented a Colorado premiere in ng of 2014: Dr. Seuss The Sneetches. The Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild

5 The performance, The Orchestra Moves, will be the Philharmonic s first Link Up program. Link Up is a hands-on curriculum that addresses the crucial need for children to receive music instruction by providing teachers the necessary resources and basic musical knowledge to conduct a high quality, yearlong program. Students will discover how composers create musical movement by using motif, melodic direction, steps and leaps, dynamics, and orchestration. Beethoven s Symphony No. 5, Strauss The Blue Danube, Mendelssohn s A Midsummer Night s Dream, Offenbach s Can-Can, and Bizet s Toreador from Carmen are just some of the musical selections students will hear, as well as sing and even play along to. Philharmonic Kids goals are to: 1) familiarize young people with the classical concert experience, 2) create a life-long appreciation of timeless music, and 3) inspire young people to pursue musical opportunities. The Philharmonic believes that the experience of attending a professional, orchestral concert leaves a lasting impression on youth, and can foment a life-long love of music. In order to maximize the educational value of programming, the Philharmonic references state and national curriculum standards and works with schools to design and modify programs. Staff consults with classroom teachers to determine program content and docent presentations. Educational content is based on years of research and re-evaluated annually using participating teacher s feedback. The Philharmonic also offers participating schools and home-school organizations the opportunity to have a trained docent visit classes and teach students about the basics of classical music prior to the field trip. Docent visits help expand the educational value of Philharmonic Kids programming, and offer teachers additional support to enhance learning potential. Last season, schools participating primarily came from El Paso, Teller, Douglas, Fremont, and Pueblo counties and the Philharmonic provided them with free docent visits culminating in 163 hours of additional in-class music education. Last year, 5,678 children attended a Phil Kids performance, and 44% (or 2,860) were from Title I low-income schools. By Meghann Maurer, Grants & Events Manager, Colorado Springs Philharmonic Note: This is one of a series of articles on how Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild members make a difference in the musical community of Colorado Springs. For suggestions for future columns, please contact Marion Meyer, marion@peakdream.com, February 2015 Newsletter guild.csphilharmonic.org 5

6 Treasurer s Report December 31, 2014, prepared by John Meyer, Treasurer Cash Admin checking account $8, Scholarship account $2, Scholarship CDs $3, Fundraising account $37, Fundraising savings account $54.29 Total cash as of December 31, 2014 $52, Membership Notes Welcome new members: Chris Convoy (sustaining member) Karen Brandner Eileen & Steve Field Current membership rates: Single: $35 Family: $60 Sustaining Individual: $75 Sustaining Family: $125 More information about joining the Guild can be found at guild.csphilharmonic.org. 6 Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild

7 Upcoming Philharmonic Concerts Don t miss these performances! Cheyenne Jackson: American Songbook February 6-7, 2015 Philharmonic Pops Thomas Wilson, conductor Cheyenne Jackson, vocals Stage, film, and TV heartthrob Cheyenne Jackson has sold out Carnegie Hall and other venues with his performance of American classics. This star of 30 Rock, Glee, and the Broadway stage has got it all. NY Daily News Tosca February 21-22, 2015 El Pomar Foundation Masterworks Josep Caballé-Domenech, conductor Martile Rowland, director Opera Theatre of the Rockies Puccini Tosca Semi-staged concert production Joshua Bell February 26, 2015 Josep Caballé-Domenech, conductor Joshua Bell, violin Classical music superstar Joshua Bell joins conductor Josep Caballé-Domenech and the Philharmonic for a dazzling program of violin virtuosity and talent. Bell fused impeccable agility, dexterity, and artistry to thrill Bell s performance brought the house down, and he came out for four bows. Oregon Music News Saint-Saëns Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso Ravel Tzigane Music of The Who March 6-7, 2015 Philharmonic Pops Brent Havens, conductor Brody Dolyniuk, vocals English rock legend The Who formed in 1964 and took the world by storm, selling more than 100 million records. Join us for Windborne s tribute with Baba O Riley, Pinball Wizard, My Generation, and many more mega-hits. Mozart: Requiem March 14, 2015 Vanguard Performances Thomas Wilson, conductor Colorado Springs Chorale Shrouded in the mysteries of Mozart s untimely death, his Requiem has become classical music s ultimate source of myth and legend. Author and conductor Thomas Wilson and the Colorado Springs Chorale will unearth all the layers of deceit, darkness, and death to bring this heartrending piece to life. February 2015 Newsletter guild.csphilharmonic.org 7

8 PO Box 7584 Colorado Springs, CO guild.csphilharmonic.org