Newsletter: Spring 2022

2022

SPRING NEWSLETTER

RSO'S COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION

Linc Smelser leads String Quartet Outreach at Cherry Valley Elementary School | Photo credit: Russ Stoneback

What's Inside: 2 | Concert Photos 2 | Board Spotlight: Tami Gaudreau 3 | Education Programs 4 | How to engage with the Music Director Finalists

4 | Musician Spotlight: Mark Baldin, Trumpet 5 | Documenting the Search 5 | ComEd Digital Stage 6 | The RSO Foundation 7 | Share-A-Seat 7 | Volunteer Spotlight: Deanna Wilcox-Sandberg

Education is a core component of the RSO’s mission to lead in the creation of vibrant music experiences that enlighten, educate, and entertain, and we recognize the benefits music bestows on students both emotionally and academically. The effects of the pandemic on music education programs are lingering and will be felt throughout our community for quite some time. The interruption has caused a set-back in students’ growth as musicians and the program growth of ensembles both in schools and in the RSO's Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra. Overcoming these challenges to build thriving music education programs in our region will require a long-term commitment.

In the current season, the RSO is focusing on visiting schools with our guest artists, sending a string quartet into schools for outreach performances, and supporting the Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra. In addition we provide digital educational resources on the RSO’s website.

Guest Artist Visits Each Music Director Finalist has selected an accomplished guest artist to share the stage with them. While in Rockford, these guest artists are visiting schools to interact with our region’s students. These visits range from visiting with a small class of music students and having an intimate conversation, to a fullschool assembly that includes performance and improvisation.

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Our patrons are why we perform!

1) Kyle and Marge Bevers 2) Ben Bernsten and Mary McNamara Bernsten 3) Dr. Hana Hinkle-Peterson, RSO Board President Colin Peterson, Dr. Erica Spies-Rapp, and Nick Rapp 4) The Lara Family 5) Pianist Wei Luo greets a fan after the concert 6) RSO Music Director Search Committee Chair Dr. Arnold Rosen Photo credit: Brian Thomas Photography Photo credit: Brian Thomas Photography

SPOTLIGHT: Tami Gaudreau, RSO Board Member I’ve been a member of the Board for three years, and decided to serve the RSO as a board member for several reasons. This is a way to serve the community of Rockford by supporting the RSO and working with the other board members to continue to see the success of the RSO in Rockford. Plus, serving as a board member is outside my work-world of school and students. Several years down the road, this position will give me a “something” to do when I retire.

Tami Gaudreau is currently the music teacher at Hillman Elementary School and the Secretary of the RSO Board of Directors.

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T h ank y ou T

I am quite intrigued with the hiring process of the new music director, and am learning a lot about it and the logistics that go into supporting our symphony orchestra. It is interesting meeting the prospective directors, talking with them, and seeing how each is different yet knowledgeable and passionate about what they do.

I am looking forward to seeing which candidate will be best for Rockford and the Rockford Symphony Orchestra.

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String Quartet Outreach This Spring, RSYO Conductor Linc Smelser has been heading up our String Quartet outreach programs, visiting 16 schools to present "The Many Moods of Music." The performance is 30-45 minutes long and is tailored to the age group with whom the quartet is interacting. Students identify their emotions through listening to different types of music, sing along to familiar tunes, and learn basic music concepts in this interactive program.

Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra This season, the Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra has 42 young musicians enrolled, down from the 62 we served pre-Covid.

RSYO will be presenting their Spring Orchestra concert on May 1 at 3:00pm at Hononegah High School. This will be a special performance featuring both the 2019 and 2021 Concerto Competition Winners performing concerto movements with the youth orchestra. Having a soloist perform with the ensemble is a unique opportunity for RSYO musicians to play expanded repertoire and experience accompanying a soloist, something the musicians won't often experience in their school music programs.

RSYO Concerto Competition

Zoe Hart, flute

The RSYO Concerto Competition is held each fall in partnership with Rock Valley College.

Students from a 50-mile radius are invited to compete to win. The winner

of the 2021 competition was RSYO flute player Zoe Hart. Zoe has been playing flute for five years, and studies under Jacques Saint-Cyr at the Music Academy of Rockford. She is a junior at Belvidere North High School and a member of their Wind Ensemble.

Zoe has played with other ensembles including The Fifth Inversion Quartet, Measure Five, and the pit orchestra for Rock Valley College Starlight Theatre.

Linc Smelser has been the conductor of RSYO since 2014, and the coach of the ensemble’s Sterling String Quartet for many years as well. In addition to his work with the RSO, Linc is an accomplished cellist who plays with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, is an active substitute with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducts the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the NIU Sinfonia in DeKalb, and maintains an active teaching studio. Linc will be conducting this year’s RSO Star Spangled Spectacular performance at Rock Valley College’s Starlight Theatre on July 3, 2022.

Digital Resources The RSO has several resources online for educators. This Spring the RSO released an interactive virtual Youth Concert where students can sing and play recorders along with an orchestra, accompanied by a full curriculum from Carnegie Hall. We also offer an interactive Instrument Selection site where students can get to know the instruments of the orchestra and choose one to play in their own school ensembles, videos on the ComEd Digital Stage, and a host of other resources for educators.

Thank you for supporting music education!

The RSO is proud to have three staff members working to advance music education and support music educators through these efforts. All of this is made possible each season through the support of donors who give to the Annual Fund, as well as grant awards from foundations. This season, the RSO has received generous support for educational programming from the Farny R. Wurltizer Foundation, the William M. Miller Charitable Trust, and the Kjellstrom Family Foundation, in addition to gifts from individuals.

Meet the RSO's Education Team (left to right)

Linc Smelser, RSYO Conductor and String Outreach Artistic Coordinator Margo Stedman, Education and Community Engagement Director Audra Freeze, Education and Engagement Coordinator rockfordsymphony.com | 815.965.0049 | 3

ENGAGE WITH THE RSO MUSIC DIRECTOR FINALISTS Whether you're joining us in person or online, there are several opportunities to get to know the Music Director Finalists so you can Be Part of the Choice.

Before They Visit Rockford Visit the Finalist's page on the RSO website to read their bio and view an introductory video.

View the Concert Event page to learn about the repertoire they'll be presenting to us, including interactive program notes and a playlist of the music that you can listen to in advance.

While They Are in Rockford Each Finalist will be recording a Podcast audio interview while they are in town. These will be posted on the "Podcast" page of our website under the "Engagement" tab.

Attend SoundBites at The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club on Fridays to hear Principal Trumpet Mark Baldin engage in a lively conversation with each Finalist. Eat lunch, ask questions, and greet the Finalist in person.

If you are a Full Finalist subscriber, attend the exclusive Meet & Greet event, for an opportunity to talk to the Finalist.

Attend the Pre-Concert Lecture at 6:30pm before the performance to hear the Finalist talk to the audience directly about the evening's program. This is free and open to all ticketholders.

After They Visit Rockford Visit the Finalist's page on the RSO's website to catch up on any events you missed! You can listen to their Podcast interview and SoundBites conversation, and also view photos of the Finalist's time with us in Rockford.

Visit the Digital Stage concert page to view the Program Book and listen to the Pre-Concert Lecture.

If you are a Full Finalist subscriber, you will recieve an email with a link to view the concert on the ComEd Digital Stage two weeks after the live performance. If you are not a Full Finalist subscriber, you can purchase the concert for just $10!

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Mark Baldin, Principal Trumpet Mark Baldin has been playing with the RSO since 1980, and has served as our principal trumpet for 39 of those years. This season, Mark is also serving as the host of our SoundBites luncheon series at The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club.

When Mark isn't playing his trumpet he can be found enjoying his record collection (he is a selfdescribed "stereo hound"), reading books, or watching movies (particularly sci-fi and horror).

He also loves good conversation, particularly with a good cup of coffee.

We asked Mark about his favorite musical experience with the RSO and he told us: "being in the middle of a great piece of music with the truly wonderful musicians and great friends of the RSO, that is the biggest thrill...to be able to sit back and hear the playing of the great musicians and friends around me, that's magic.

There's nothing like it."

SoundBites is sponsored in part through a grant from the Rockford Area Arts Council.

DOCUMENTING THE SEARCH |

Expanding the accessibility of the RSO

The RSO is committed to making all aspects of the Music Director Search accessible to our community. We have invested in digitally capturing the time our Finalists spend in Rockford through both audio and video recordings. RSO staff has spent time during the pandemic honing new technological skills to help make this happen, but filming the concerts required expanding our team.

Neil Bloom, owner of Future Memory Media, has taken on the job. “Rockford is my home. I think it has a lot of wonderful things to shine a light on,” said Neil. “…a big one of those things is the RSO.” Neil and his teammate Brent Wetter have become familiar faces at RSO events as they document the many aspects of a symphony season— interviews, rehearsals, concerts, and all the behind-the-scene things that bring performances to life. “We are filming a product of love not just for the RSO or music, but for the city,” said Neil. “Something like a new music director search is so rare and even more so because we are hopefully coming out of the pandemic. It is a story that needs to be remembered and told.” The work Neil and Brent are doing along with the RSO’s commitment allows patrons to engage with the RSO at home and anywhere in the world.

Neil Bloom and Brent Wetter

Experience concerts from a new perspective!

Digital Stage

See the conductor from the musicians' point of view and get up close and personal video of the musicians and guest artists all from the comfort of your home.

Each concert is just $10, and will be available online approximately two weeks after the live performance. The entire season can be purchased for $90. If you are unable to come to the Coronado, please join us online and Be Part of the Choice!

The production of the Music Director Finalist performances are generously funded in part by support from ComEd, the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

KEY UPCOMING RSO DATES July 2022 |

Single tickets on sale for Fall 2022

September 2022 | January 2023 |

Spring 2023 programming announced

New RSO Music Director announced

April 2023 |

Murder Mystery Party rescheduled

April 2023 |

2023/24 Season unveiled

September 2023 |

New Music Director's First Season begins

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THE RSO FOUNDATION

Working its Magic to Support the RSO for 15 years

By Keith Syfert, Immediate Past President of the Rockford Symphony Orchestra Foundation

How can the RSO Foundation receive $2 million in gifts from its generous donors and distribute nearly $900,000 to the RSO, yet still retain all of the $2 million in contributions — plus more — prudently invested to generate future revenue? Some might call it magic, but it really is the result of the creative vision, generosity, and hard work of a small group of dedicated RSO supporters.

Led by LoRayne Logan, this small group of visionaries established the Rockford Symphony Orchestra Foundation almost 15 years ago as an independent endowment designed to generate a reliable, significant, and never-ending stream of revenue to the RSO. From the outset, the Foundation’s guiding principle was and remains a commitment that donors’ gifts would never, ever be spent. Rather, their generous contributions would remain untouched with only the revenue from those invested gifts being used to support the RSO. That commitment has never been broken.

Immediately following the Foundation’s creation, Richard “Dick” Nordlof — an original Foundation organizer and board member — kickstarted the endowment fundraising campaign by making an opening gift of $500,000, still the largest lifetime gift ever received by the Foundation. Since then and continuing to this day, dozens of other extremely generous RSO supporters have made lifetime and estate gifts to the Foundation totaling some $2 million. Each of these donors now are permanent Foundation members and the names of all donors contributing $1,000 or more are printed in perpetuity on the Foundation page of each RSO concert book.

Thanks to Richard Nordlof's endowment gift supporting RSO guest artists, students at Marshall Elementary School were able to enjoy an outreach performance from pianist Wei Luo on March 18, 2022.

Photo Credit: Neil Bloom

The vision which gave rise to the Foundation has been an amazing success. Since 2009, the Foundation has distributed in total nearly $900,000 in critical funding to the RSO. The annual distribution from the Foundation to the Symphony has increased every year since 2009 to over $90,000 in 2021. In the last five years alone, the Foundation has transferred more than half a million dollars to the RSO, including a special one-time distribution of $100,000 as an incentivizing “matching gift” to the Larsen Legacy Campaign. Most importantly, every dollar of the $2 million donated to the Foundation over the years remains untouched and prudently invested to generate future revenue for the RSO. It is not an exaggeration to say that your contribution to the Foundation truly is a magical “gift that keeps on giving” forever.

For more information on making a gift to the RSOF or a special naming opportunity, contact Executive Director Julie Thomas at 815.965.0049 or jthomas@rockfordsymphony.com.

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SHARE-A-SEAT |

Impacting our community one seat at a time

The RSO’s Share-A-Seat program enables community members who receive assistance from local human services organizations to attend RSO performances free of charge.

At our March 19 concert Rosecrance attended with 16 participants, sitting in seats valued at $1,056. Our donors made this experience possible!

To contribute to the Share-A-Seat program, visit rockfordsymphony.com/share-a-seat.

for the Dear RSO, donating the tickets r have eve for Thank you cert. I know I would n was con ormance. It f r March 19th e p e h t o self t and brought my a recovering alcoholic opened ly e m it I’ ! in g f e in d z ama ecrance. It mer was off s o R h it w d attende est perfor u g o n ia p e h my eyes. T ank you again! – B Th the charts.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: DEANNA WILCOX-SANDBERG Deanna has been volunteering with the RSO since 2004! We asked her to share a little of her story with us.

When I joined the RSO volunteers, I was given the position to be a ticket taker in the historic lobby. My responsibility was to greet the patrons and tear tickets and then later scan the tickets. At intermission, I would mingle with the guests or help in any other capacity as needed. I love when people walk into the historic Coronado Theater as they comment on its beauty.

My involvement with the RSO has progressed since 2018. After I retired from my nursing career, I would help the staff of the RSO in the office. I love working with the RSO staff, as they are always appreciative of the time you give. The staff has made me feel like “a family member”. For me that feeling is similar to the 35 years I gave to my boss as his nurse.

For anyone who is considering volunteering, I would tell them to “go for it”. There are so many organizations that depend on the the contribution of volunteers. I don’t think you will ever regret that experience of helping out. A quote by one of my favorite philosophical essayists Khalil Gibran summarizes volunteering well: “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”

If you are interested in volunteering for the RSO, complete the form on our website or call 815.965.0049.

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Riverfront Museum Park | 711 N. Main, Rockford, IL 61103 rockfordsymphony.com | 815.965.0049

SEASONAL NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES Spring Love and Butterflies April 30, 2022 • 7:30 PM Coronado Performing Arts Center RSYO Spring Orchestra Concert May 1, 2022 • 3:00 PM Hononegah Performing Arts Center Shakespeare and the Silk Road May 14, 2022 • 7:30 PM Coronado Performing Arts Center

The Rockford Symphony Orchestra is supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Star Spangled Spectacular Sunday, July 3, 2022 at 8:00 PM RVC Starlight Theatre Conducted by Linc Smelser

Adults $30 Children (12 and under) $10 Lawn Seats $5

The annual Star Spangled Spectacular in the beautiful Starlight Theatre is the perfect way to celebrate Independence Day! The RSO performs a variety of patriotic favorites and the always popular tribute to our community’s veterans.

Join us for a night of reflection and celebration for our great nation. Wear red, white, and blue and be ready to clap and sing along!

Purchase tickets online at rockfordsymphony.com or call the RSO Box Office at 815.965.0049.