Showcasing Education & Community Programs of the CSO
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association gratefully acknowledges the Platinum and Gold sponsors of IMPACT: Showcasing Education & Community Programs of the CSO.
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Lori Julian for the Julian Family Foundation
Robert A. Kohl and Clark D. Pellett
The Negaunee Foundation
Aaron and Alicia Oberman
Margo and Michael Oberman
Sandra and Earl Rusnak, Jr.†
Megan and Steven Shebik
Lisa and Paul Wiggin
Zell Family Foundation
GOLD SPONSORS
Betsy Berry, Lizbeth Branch, Judith Feldman, Felisa Kaplan, and Carol Sonnenschein
John D. and Leslie Henner Burns
King & Spalding LLP
Northern Trust
Gene and Jean Stark
Mr. Christopher D. Tower and Mr. Robert Celio, Jr.
Laura and Terrence Truax
Paul S. Watford and Brenda Darrell
Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 6:30
IMPACT
Showcasing Education and Community Programs of the CSO
DVOŘÁK
Finale from Serenade for Winds
William Welter, oboe, CSO
Will Stevens, oboe, Civic Orchestra
Stephen Williamson, clarinet, CSO
Elizabeth Kapitaniuk, clarinet, Civic Orchestra
Keith Buncke, bassoon, CSO
William George, bassoon, Civic Orchestra
Hannah Dickerson, contrabassoon, Civic Orchestra
Mark Almond, horn, CSO
Emmett Conway, horn, Civic Orchestra
Eden Stargardt, horn, Civic Orchestra
Brant Taylor, cello, CSO
Alexander Horton, bass, CSO
AMANDI
ZIVKOVIC
CHOPIN
GRIEG
Ritmo Bagatello
First-Year Percussion Scholarship Program Students
Joel Atiemo
Kaeden Chan
Zoja Jordacevic
Avery Robles
Atharva Suresh Kumar
Douglas Waddell, conductor, PSP Codirector
Trio per Uno, Op. 27
11th- and 12th-Grade Students from the Percussion Scholarship Program
Cyrus Di
Michael Manching
Leo Shilo
Etude in A Minor, Op. 25, No. 11 (Winter Wind)
Jeremy Liu, piano, Winner of the 2025 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition
Prelude from Holberg Suite
Musicians from the CSO, Civic Orchestra, and Chicago Public Schools
Martin Nocedal, conductor
An Introduction to Mother Goose and the Cabinet of Wonder
Baird Dodge, violin, CSO
Rosie Dodge, actor
BEETHOVEN Overture to Egmont, Op. 84
Civic Orchestra of Chicago
Ken-David Masur, conductor
FIELDS
TRADITIONAL/TKACH
Miracle Baby (arr. Horan and Williams)
Civic Orchestra of Chicago
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Leah Dexter, vocals
World premiere of the first Notes for Peace song arranged for a full symphony orchestra
Doina and Puișorii (Baby Birds) (arr. Hayes)
Civic Orchestra of Chicago
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Ana Everling, vocals
World premiere of a new arrangement of Puișorii
ELGAR
Finale from Enigma Variations
Civic Orchestra of Chicago
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Video interludes produced by Jonathan McCormick and edited by Green River Films, with video and photography by Todd Rosenberg, Green River Films, and Elliot Mandel.
Special thanks to Jacqui Russell, Rachael Cohen, Logan Goulart, and the Symphony Center stage crew.
The Negaunee Music Institute is the education and community engagement wing of the Chicago Symphony with a mission to connect people to the extraordinary musical resources of the Orchestra. Programming educates audiences, trains young musicians, and serves diverse communities, across the city and around the world.
Current Negaunee Music Institute programs includes thirty-six CSO School and Family Concerts offered at Symphony Center, with dozens more presented in schools across Chicago; open rehearsals for high school music students, seniors, veteran and other community groups; more than seventyfive in-depth school partnerships; online learning resources; the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a preeminent ensemble for early-career musicians; intensive training and performance opportunities for youth including the Percussion Scholarship Program, Chicago Youth in Music Festival, CrainMaling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition, and Young Composers Initiative; social impact initiatives such as Notes for Peace for families who have lost loved ones to gun violence, and collaborations with the Chicago Refugee Coalition; and music education activities during CSO domestic and international tours. Worldwide, the Negaunee Music Institute’s annual reach exceeds 200,000 people through programming in-person and online.
Visit cso.org/nmi to view a complete listing of programs.
NEGAUNEE MUSIC INSTITUTE PROGRAMS FEATURED IN TONIGHT’S CONCERT
CSO for Kids
For over a century, the CSO has presented programming for children. Today, CSO for Kids encompasses an array of live concerts, school partnerships, and digital resources that introduce young audiences to the magical world of symphonic music. This program area includes thirty-six concerts that are attended by more than 25,000 children pre-K through grade 12 each season. To increase access, groups from Chicago Public Schools (CPS) are provided with free tickets and school bus transportation. To deepen student learning, the Negaunee Music Institute maintains more than seventyfive in-depth partnerships with schools across the Chicago area. In addition to attending CSO for Kids concerts, partners host CSO and Civic Orchestra musicians for in-school chamber performances and coachings, and teachers participate in professional development workshops. Online, students, teachers, and families can engage with educational content through CSO for Kids Digital programming.
In fall 2025 in collaboration with American singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant and Chicago Children’s Theatre, the Negaunee Music Institute launched Cabinet of Wonder, an innovative new multimedia project that supports early childhood learning and access to the arts. The extensive resources can be accessed for free around the world at cabinterofwonder.org.
Civic Orchestra of Chicago
Founded during the 1919–20 season by Frederick Stock, the Civic Orchestra prepares its members for multifaceted and meaningful careers in orchestral music and beyond. Civic members participate in full-orchestra concert cycles, workshops, masterclasses, mock auditions, chamber music, school partnerships, and other special projects. They are coached and mentored by Principal Conductor Ken-David Masur, CSO musicians, and world-renowned guest conductors and clinicians. Civic performs free and low-cost concerts in Orchestra Hall and in communities across greater Chicago and anchors the annual Crain-Maling Foundation
CSO Young Artists Competition and Chicago Youth in Music Festival.
Civic Fellowship Program
Each season, approximately ten Civic Orchestra members are designated as Civic Fellows. Through an array of experiences designed to build and diversify creative and professional skills, the Civic Fellowship program empowers participants to realize their full potential as artistically excellent, civically engaged, collaborative and entrepreneurial musicians.
The program’s curriculum has four pillars: artistic planning, music education, social justice, and project management. Fellows serve as facilitators in projects like Notes for Peace, explore music by living composers, perform concerts at Symphony Center as well as in schools and communities across the city, mentor young musicians through the CSO-Connect program, design and implement independent projects, and more. Additionally, they participate in enrichment activities including regular meetings as a cohort and professional development seminars with guest lecturers.
Percussion Scholarship Program
Currently celebrating its 30th anniversary season, the Percussion Scholarship Program (PSP) offers intensive, weekly percussion instruction on a full scholarship basis to Chicago youth in grades 3–12. Students are selected for the program through a competitive application process that includes a provisional period followed by an invitation to participate through eighth grade. Select students are invited to continue through high school. The program meets weekly on Saturdays, and provides each student with instruments, lesson books, and materials at no cost. PSP members also perform as an ensemble twice per year in Buntrock Hall at Symphony Center in addition to special concerts throughout each season. PSP boasts a roster of alumni who have gone on to attend top colleges and conservatories and pursue notable careers in music and beyond.
Crain-Maling Foundation
CSO Young Artists Competition
The Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition is a prestigious concerto competition for Illinois’s top young soloists. Applicants audition live at Symphony Center for a distinguished panel of judges. Following a preliminary round, four finalists are selected to perform in the final round in Orchestra Hall, accompanied by the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. The winner is featured the following season as soloist with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as part of CSO School and Family Concerts. Presented in collaboration with the League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association and the Negaunee Music Institute at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Notes for Peace
Launched in March 2018 in partnership with Purpose Over Pain, the Notes for Peace program uses the therapeutic benefits of music to support families who have lost loved ones to gun violence. With guidance from the Civic Fellows, guest teaching artists from the U.K.-based Irene Taylor Trust and professional vocalists, parents compose, perform live and professionally record their music, which is then featured alongside family photos and lyrics on notesforpeace.org.
To date, over 100 families have written songs to honor lives lost to gun violence.
Chicago Refugee Coalition Partnership
The Negaunee Music Institute piloted a new program during the 2023–24 season in partnership with the Chicago Refugee Coalition in order to use the power of music to uplift, inspire, and transform the lives of the local immigrant and refugee communities. In collaboration with the Civic Orchestra Fellows and mentors from the Irene Taylor Trust, refugees affiliated with the Coalition share and celebrate their cultural identities through music. Following interviews with program participants, the Fellows curate, arrange music, and perform a concert in Buntrock Hall at Symphony Center.
PROFILES
Douglas Waddell Conductor
Douglas Waddell is a member of the Grant Park Symphony and acting principal percussion at Lyric Opera of Chicago. He has been a timpanist with the renowned Music of the Baroque ensemble since 1983, and as a member of the Contemporary Chamber Players of Chicago has performed and recorded a wide variety of twentieth-century chamber works. Waddell has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and can be heard all over the world on hundreds of television and radio commercial jingles. Waddell considers his greatest achievement directing the CSO’s Percussion Scholarship Program with his wife Patricia Dash.
Jeremy Liu Piano
Jeremy Liu is a ninth grader at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville. He has studied with Sueanne Shimabuku Metz since the age of six. Jeremy is the 2025 winner of the Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition. As a result, he had the honor of performing with the CSO last fall. He is also the recent first-place winner of the Chicago International Music Competition and the Carmel Klavier International Competition. He made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of seven. Since then, he has won awards in many competitions. He is a four-time winner of the Illinois State Music Teachers Association (ISMTA) Competition, a three-time winner of the MTNA (Junior Division of Illinois), and a three-time first-place winner of the Sejong Music Competition in addition to other prizes.
Martin Nocedal Conductor
Martin Nocedal is the director of orchestras at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago. Nocedal received his bachelor’s degree in music education from Northwestern University, where he studied with Hans Jørgen Jensen, and his master’s in cello performance from the University of Michigan. He previously served as the director of orchestras at Maine South High School in Park Ridge and at Davenport Central High School in Davenport, Iowa. He has also been a faculty member at Midwest Young Artists Conservatory in cello and chamber music and a lecturer in cello at St. Ambrose University. Martin Nocedal was an associate member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and is currently a cellist with the Northbrook Symphony and Oistrakh Orchestra of Chicago.
Baird Dodge Violin
A New York City native, Baird Dodge joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as a violist in 1996. He later moved to the second violin section that same year. In 2002, he was appointed principal second violin by Daniel Barenboim. After studying violin and viola from an early age, Dodge attended the precollege division of the Juilliard School. He received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Swarthmore College in 1990 and a master’s degree in music from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1994. His teachers have included Helen Kwalwasser, Gregory Fulkerson, and Joyce Robbins. Baird Dodge has a special interest in contemporary music and regularly participates in CSO for Kids and CSO chamber music performances.
Ken-David Masur
Principal Conductor, Civic Orchestra of Chicago
The Robert Kohl and Clark Pellett Principal Conductor Chair
Ken-David Masur is celebrating his seventh season as music director of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and principal conductor of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. In 2025–2026, Masur leads celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, featuring performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Missa solemnis, as well as Bach’s St. Matthew Passion as part of the third annual Bach Festival. Ken-David Masur and the MSO will reunite with longtime collaborators such as Augustin Hadalich, Orion Weiss, Stewart Goodyear, and Nancy Zhou as well as a special project with Bill Barclay and Concert Theatre Works to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. In Chicago, Masur leads the Civic Orchestra, the premier training ensemble of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, in a wide range of programs, including its annual Bach Marathon.
Leah Dexter Vocals
Leah Dexter, a prolific, local Chicago artist, is a performer of diverse repertoire on the opera, concert, and recital stages. A frequent performer with Chicago Opera Theater, she has premiered several roles with the company: Gloria in Freedom Ride, Night Maid in The Transformation of Jane Doe, Mistress Paddington in Quamino’s Map, Nelda in Taking Up Serpents, and Object 1 in The Weight of Light. Additional roles include Traveler/Attendant #4 in The Nose, Mrs. Herring
in Albert Herring, Ib in Becoming Santa Claus, and Mercedes in Carmen. Recent operatic engagements have included Siegrune in The Valkyries with Detroit Opera, Dimas’ Mother/Lupe in Frida with both Detroit Opera and El Paso Opera, and Bertha in Fire Shut Up in My Bones with Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Ana Everling Vocals
Ana Everling is a vocalist and storyteller whose artistry bridges the rich traditions of Romanian folklore from Moldova with bold originality and a love for improvisation. Drawing inspiration from her heritage, Everling creates music that is entirely her own. Her performances invite listeners into an immersive experience where every moment feels both timeless and new. Her journey as an artist reflects resilience and passion: from studying music in art schools in the Republic of Moldova to busking on the streets of Chicago, and now performing to sold-out audiences across the United States. For her exceptional contributions to culture and her role in promoting Moldova’s heritage abroad, she was honored with the prestigious title of Artist Emerita by the President of Moldova.
Classical Elements
Saturday, March 21 — 11:00 & 12:45
Join dynamic conductor Mei-Ann Chen and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for an engaging musical exploration of air, fire and water!
Perfect for ages 5-12, this lighthearted program features Stravinsky’s The Firebird, Saint-Saëns’ Aquarium from The Carnival of the Animals and more, creating an atmosphere fit for musical exploration at Symphony Center.
Main Floor tickets start at $5 for kids and $15 for adults — get yours today!
Civic Orchestra of Chicago
Ken-David Masur Principal Conductor
The Robert Kohl and Clark Pellett Principal Conductor Chair
VIOLINS
Naomi Powers
Jesús Linárez+
Ebedit Fonseca
Alyssa Goh
John Heffernan+ Ben Koenig
Pavlo Kyryliuk
June Lee
Jinty McTavish+
Keshav Srinivasan
Yulia Watanabe-Price
Abigail Yoon
Alba Layana Izurieta
Mona Mierxiati
Maria Paula Bernal
Carlos Chacon
Kaylin Chung
Hojung Christina Lee
Lara Madden Hughes
Matthew Musachio
Justine Jing Xin Teo*
Sean Qin
VIOLAS
Sava Velkoff*
Darren Carter
Lucie Boyd
August DuBeau
Elena Galentas
Judy Huang
Matthew Nowlan**
Yat Chun Justin Pou
CELLOS
David Caplan
Krystian Chiu
J Holzen*
Buianto Lkhasaranov
Ashley Ryoo
Somyong Shin
BASSES
Alexander Wallack
Albert Daschle
Walker Dean
Jonathon Piccolo
Jared Prokop
FLUTES
Daniel Fletcher
Cierra Hall
PICCOLO
Cierra Hall
OBOES
Will Stevens
Orlando Salazar*
CLARINETS
Elizabeth Kapitaniuk
Max Reese
BASSOONS
William George
Hannah Dickerson
CONTRABASSOON
Christine Breeden
HORNS
Emmett Conway
Eden Stargardt*
Erin Harrigan
Samantha Hartsfield
Katy Meffert
TRUMPETS
Hamed Barbarji*
Abner Wong
Sarah Heimberg
TROMBONES
Hugo Saavedra+
Amanda Pinos Fernández
BASS TROMBONE
Timothy Warner
TUBA
Nick Collins+
TIMPANI
Kyle Scully
PERCUSSION
Tae McLoughlin
Adriana Harrison
Cameron Marquez*
KEYBOARD
Michael Banwarth
LIBRARIAN
Andrew Wunrow
Musicians Performing the Prelude from Grieg’s Holberg Suite
CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Mihaela Ionescu Violin
Youming Chen Viola
Ian Hallas Bass
CIVIC ORCHESTRA OF CHICAGO
Alba Layana Izurieta Violin
Ebedit Fonseca Violin
Justine Jing Xin Teo Violin
August DuBeau Viola
Nick Reeves Cello
CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
STUDENTS
Kai Bright Violin
Joseph Kim Violin
Caitlin Ng Violin
Makaila Bonsu Violin
Emma Set Violin
Ivana de la Peña Viola
Anthony Telcian Cello
Enzo Rejman Cello
Luke Montzka Bass
CSOA
Honoring the vast impact of CSOA Life Trustee
Robert Kohl
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) recognizes Robert Kohl this evening for his steadfast support and leadership of the CSO’s education and community programs. A longtime member of the CSOA family, Kohl has been a ticket holder, a subscriber, and an impactful donor—in addition to his affiliations with the Governing Members, the Theodore Thomas Society, the Board of Trustees, and the Negaunee Music Institute Board. Through his efforts, the Negaunee Music Institute’s core values are thriving today.
Upon first moving to Chicago, Kohl bought season tickets to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has been a subscriber since 1988, attributing his philanthropy with the CSO to his experience as a subscriber. Kohl joined the Governing Members in 2001, before becoming a member of the CSOA’s Board of Trustees in 2005. In 2017, he became a Life Trustee, and his service has continued since.
Kohl grew more involved with the educational and community engagement programming of the CSO through the Negaunee Music Institute, then called the Institute for Learning, Access, and Training. In 2010, he became the chair of the Institute Board. That year marked a new era of leadership for the CSO: Riccardo Muti was named as the CSO’s tenth music director, and star cellist Yo-Yo Ma took on the role of creative consultant. Among his responsibilities as chair of the board, Kohl worked with Ma to form the Citizen Musician Initiative, which would build the framework for the Institute’s ongoing work.
Jonathan McCormick, managing director of the Negaunee Music Institute (NMI), remembers the early days of the initiative. “Yo-Yo was calling attention to this idea that the life of musician is a life
Life Trustee Robert Kohl in 2013, celebrating the one year anniversary of the CPS arts program
Robert Kohl with Vanessa Moss and Allison Szafranski, this past January
Robert Kohl and Clark Pellett at Symphony Ball in 2019
of service. Embedded in that idea was this desire for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to become more connected to communities around the city, and for those communities to be more connected to what was happening at Symphony Center. The Citizen Musician Initiative invited more partnerships, more collaborations, more access, and also more ideas from musicians of both the CSO and Civic.” Kohl’s embrace of Ma’s artistic vision ultimately built the foundation for many of the newer NMI initiatives that have now become signature programs.
Kohl has been a champion of education and community engagement on countless fronts, including his contributions to the SEMPRE ALWAYS campaign. He and his husband, Clark Pellett, established an endowed fund in 2021 to support the Civic Orchestra of Chicago’s principal conductor position.
Among Kohl’s many admirable qualities, McCormick emphasizes, is an undeniable presence. “When I think of Robert, I think of someone who is always looking to maximize resources, to ask the big ‘why?’ questions and to be a role model for his peers in terms of his philanthropy,” McCormick said. “And he shows up, too. I don’t think that we celebrate that enough. Not only giving one’s money and
one’s opinion, but to attend concerts, to love the music, to love the orchestras.”
Leslie Burns, the current chair of the NMI Board, cites one of his best qualities to be his thoughtfulness, both in the way he communicates with other people and how he approaches problem-solving. He leads with an “openness about his feelings, which can be very motivational,” Burns said.
“Robert is a fine musician—a talented pianist,” Helen Zell, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, said. “He has translated his personal passion for performative music into a societal mission to preserve the art form. And he understands that this work must focus on young people if it is to succeed.”
“He clearly cares so much about the work that the Institute does,” Burns said, “and has shown that in so many different ways.”
Kohl’s own statements echo the sentiment, reflecting his dedication to the CSOA. “I’m very proud of the long commitment that this organization has made to cultivating future audience members and artists,” Kohl said. “This work is, in my opinion, as important as the performances themselves. I think arts organizations, more than ever, really have to invest time and energy in cultivating and maintaining the art form.”
NEGAUNEE MUSIC INSTITUTE AT
THE BOARD OF THE NEGAUNEE MUSIC INSTITUTE
Leslie Burns Chair
Steve Shebik Vice Chair
John Aalbregtse
David Arch
James Borkman
Jacqui Cheng
Ricardo Cifuentes
Richard Colburn
Charles Emmons
Judith E. Feldman
Toni-Marie Montgomery
Rumi Morales
Mimi Murley
Margo Oberman
Gerald Pauling
Kate Protextor Drehkoff
Harper Reed
Melissa Root
Amanda Sonneborn
Eugene Stark
Dan Sullivan
Paul S. Watford
Ex Officio Members
Jeff Alexander
Jonathan McCormick
Vanessa Moss
NEGAUNEE MUSIC INSTITUTE ADMINISTRATION
Jonathan McCormick Managing Director
Katy Clusen Associate Director, CSO for Kids
Rachael Cohen Program Manager
Katherine Eaton Coordinator, School Partnerships
Charles Jones Program Assistant
Carol Kelleher Assistant, CSO for Kids
Anna Perkins Orchestra Manager, Civic Orchestra of Chicago
Zhiqian Wu Operations Coordinator, Civic Orchestra of Chicago
Kevin Gupana Associate Director, Education & Community
Engagement Giving
Frances Atkins Director of Publications & Institutional Content
Kristin Tobin Designer & Print Production Manager
Petya Kaltchev Editor
CIVIC ORCHESTRA ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP
Ken-David Masur Principal Conductor
The Robert Kohl and Clark Pellett Principal Conductor Chair
Coaches from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Robert Chen Concertmaster
The Louis C. Sudler Chair, endowed by an anonymous benefactor
Baird Dodge Principal Second Violin
Teng Li Principal Viola
The Paul Hindemith Principal Viola Chair
Brant Taylor Cello
The Ann Blickensderfer and Roger Blickensderfer Chair
Alexander Horton Assistant Principal Bass
William Welter Principal Oboe
Stephen Williamson Principal Clarinet
Keith Buncke Principal Bassoon
William Buchman Assistant Principal Bassoon
Mark Almond Principal Horn
Esteban Batallán Principal Trumpet
The Adolph Herseth Principal Trumpet Chair, endowed by an anonymous benefactor
Michael Mulcahy Trombone
Charles Vernon Bass Trombone
Gene Pokorny Principal Tuba
The Arnold Jacobs Principal Tuba Chair, endowed by
Christine Querfeld
David Herbert Principal Timpani
The Clinton Family Fund Chair
Cynthia Yeh Principal Percussion
Chair sponsored by an anonymous benefactor
Justin Vibbard Principal Librarian
A special thank you to the 2026 IMPACT
Host Committee
IMPACT HOST COMMITTEE
CO-CHAIRS
Matthew Fry, Overture Council
Margo Oberman, League & NMI Board
Paul S. Watford, CSOA Board of Trustees & African American Network
MEMBERS
Ramiro J. Atristaín-Carrión, Latino Alliance
Betsy Berry, League & Women’s Board
Lizbeth Branch, League & Women’s Board
Sue Bridge, League
Charles Emmons, Governing Members & NMI Board
Pedro Guerrero, Latino Alliance
Rosalind Jackson, African American Network & League
Ansuk Jeong, League
Valerie Mayuga, Overture Council
Leah McGregory, African American Network
Sharon Mitchell, League
Lenese Reynolds, African American Network
Melissa Root, CSOA Board of Trustees
Sandy Rusnak, Women’s Board
Juan B. Solana, Latino Alliance & League
Tracy Stanciel, African American Network & League
Negaunee Music Institute at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Negaunee Music Institute connects individuals and communities to the extraordinary musical resources of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The following donors are gratefully acknowledged for making a gift in support of these educational and engagement programs. To make a gift of learn more, please contact Kevin Gupana, Associate Director of Giving, Educational and Engagement Programs, 312-294-3156.
$150,000 AND ABOVE
Lori Julian for The Julian Family Foundation
The Negaunee Foundation
$100,000–$149,999
Abbott Fund
Allstate Insurance Company
Megan and Steve Shebik
$75,000–$99,999
John Hart and Carol Prins
Barbara and Barre Seid Foundation
$50,000–$74,999
Anonymous
BMO
Robert and Joanne Crown Income
Charitable Fund
Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
Judy and Scott McCue
Ms. Deborah K. McNeil
Polk Bros. Foundation
Michael and Linda Simon
Lisa and Paul Wiggin
$35,000–$49,999
Bowman C. Lingle Trust
National Endowment for the Arts
$25,000–$34,999
Anonymous
Carey and Brett August
Crain-Maling Foundation
Nancy Dehmlow
Kinder Morgan
Margo and Michael Oberman
Ms. Cecelia Samans
Shure Charitable Trust
Gene and Jean Stark
$20,000–$24,999
Anonymous
Fred and Phoebe Boelter
Mary and Lionel Go Halasyamani/Davis Family
Illinois Arts Council
Richard P. and Susan Kiphart Family
Mr. Philip Lumpkin
PNC
D. Elizabeth Price
Charles and M. R. Shapiro Foundation
The George L. Shields Foundation, Inc.
$15,000–$19,999
Nancy A. Abshire
Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation, Inc.
Sue and Jim Colletti
The Maval Foundation
Sandra and Earl Rusnak, Jr. †
Dr. Marylou Witz
$11,500–14,999
Barker Welfare Foundation
Mr. † & Mrs. David A. Donovan
Nancy and Bernard Dunkel
Benjamin J. Rosenthal Foundation
Ksenia A. and Peter Turula
$7,500–$11,499
Anonymous
Robert H. Baum and MaryBeth Kretz
The Buchanan Family Foundation
John D. and Leslie Henner Burns
Mr. Lawrence Corry
Mrs. Carol Evans, in memory of Henry Evans
Ellen and Paul Gignilliat
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph B. Glossberg
Chet Gougis and Shelley Ochab
Mary Winton Green
King & Spalding LLP
The League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association
Mr. Glen Madeja and Ms. Janet Steidl
Dr. Leo and Catherine † Miserendino
Ms. Susan Norvich
Ms. Emilysue Pinnell
Mary and Joseph Plauché
Ms. Liisa M. Thomas and Mr. Stephen L. Pratt
Theodore and Elisabeth Wachs
$4,500–$7,499
Dora J. and R. John Aalbregtse
AMETEK Foundation
Charles H. and Bertha L.
Boothroyd Foundation
Ann and Richard Carr
Harry F. and Elaine Chaddick Foundation
Ms. Dawn E. Helwig
Mr. James Kastenholz and Ms. Jennifer Steans
Dr. June Koizumi
Leoni Zverow McVey and Bill McVey
Jim and Ginger Meyer
Stephen and Rumi Morales
Drs. Robert and Marsha Mrtek
The Osprey Foundation
Lee Ann and Savit Pirl
Robert J. Richards and Barbara A. Richards
Dr. Scholl Foundation
Laura and Terrence Truax
Mr. Paul R. Wiggin
$3.500–$4,449
Anonymous (2)
Charles and Carol Emmons
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Clusen
Mr. Clinton J. Ecker and Ms. Jacqui Cheng
Judith E. Feldman
Ms. Mirjana Martich and Mr. Zoran Lazarevic
$2,500–$3,499
Anonymous
David and Suzanne Arch
Adam Bossov
Mr. Ray Capitanini
Lisa Chessare
Mr. Ricardo Cifuentes
Patricia A. Clickener
Mr. & Mrs. Dwight Decker
David and Janet Fox
Mr. † & Mrs. Robert Heidrick
William B. Hinchliff
Michael and Leigh Huston
Dr. Victoria Ingram and Dr. Paul Navin
David † and Dolores Nelson
Mr. & Mrs. Jeffery Piper
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Racker
Erik and Nelleke Roffelsen
Mr. David Sandfort
Gerald and Barbara Schultz
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Scorza
Jessie Shih and Johnson Ho
Dr. & Mrs. R. Solaro
Carol S. Sonnenschein
Mr. † & Mrs. Hugo Sonnenschein
Ms. Joanne C. Tremulis
Mr. Peter Vale
Mr. Kenneth Witkowski
Ms. Camille Zientek
ENDOWED FUNDS TO NMI/CIVIC
Anonymous (4)
Dr. & Mrs. Bernard H. Adelson Fund
Marjorie Blum-Kovler Youth Concert Fund
Civic Orchestra Chamber Access Fund
Kelli Gardner Youth Education Endowment Fund
Mary Winton Green
John Hart and Carol Prins Fund for Access
William Randolph Hearst Foundation Fund
Richard A. Heise
Julian Family Foundation Fund
Lester B. Knight Charitable Trust
Robert Kohl and Clark Pellett Chair Fund
The Malott Family School Concerts Fund
Eloise W. Martin Endowed Fund
Gloria Miner Endowed Fund
The Negaunee Foundation
Margo and Michael Oberman Community Access Fund
Nancy Ranney and Family and Friends
Shebik Community Engagement Programs Fund
The William Sibley Fund
Silver Community Engagement Fund
Ruth Miner Swislow Charitable Fund
The Wallace Foundation
CIVIC ORCHESTRA OF CHICAGO SCHOLARSHIPS
Members of the Civic Orchestra receive an annual stipend to offset some of their living expenses during their training. The following donors have generously helped to support these stipends for the 2025–26 season.
Ten Civic members participate in the Civic Fellowship program, a rigorous artistic and professional development curriculum that supplements their membership in the full orchestra. Major funding for this program is generously provided by Lori Julian for the Julian Family Foundation
Nancy Abshire
Darren Carter, viola
Dr. & Mrs. Bernard H. Adelson Fund Elena Galentas, viola
Robert & Isabelle Bass Foundation, Inc.
Timothy Warner, bass trombone
Rosalind Britton^ Ashley Ryoo, cello
Leslie and John Burns** Matthew Nowlan, viola
Robert and Joanne Crown Fund
Alyssa Goh, violin
John Heo, violin
Pavlo Kyryliuk, violin
Buianto Lkhasaranov, cello Matthew Musachio, violin
Mr.† & Mrs.† David Donovan
Chrisjovan Masso, tuba
Charles and Carol Emmons^ Will Stevens, oboe
Mr. & Mrs. David S. Fox^ Daniel Fletcher, flute
Paul † and Ellen Gignilliat
Naomi Powers, violin
Joseph and Madeleine Glossberg
Adam Davis, violin
Richard and Alice Godfrey Ben Koenig, violin
Jennifer Amler Goldstein Fund, in memory of Thomas M. Goldstein
Alex Chao, percussion
Chester Gougis and Shelley Ochab
Tony Sanfilippo, Jr., bass
Mary Green
Walker Dean, bass
Jane Redmond Haliday Chair
Mona Mierxiati, violin
Lori Julian for the Julian Family Foundation
David Caplan, cello
Orlando Salazar,* oboe
Lester B. Knight Trust
Tricia Park, violin
Jonathon Piccolo, bass
Brandon Xu, cello
Shun-Ming Yang, cello
The League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Kari Novilla,* harp
Leslie Fund, Inc.
Cameron Marquez,* percussion
Phil Lumpkin and William Tedford
Mason Spencer,* viola
Glenn Madeja and Janet Steidl
Erin Harrigan, horn
Maval Foundation
Arlo Hollander, trombone
Dustin Nguyen, trombone
Sean-David Whitworth, trumpet
Judy and Scott McCue and the Fry Foundation
Cierra Hall, flute
Leo and Catherine † Miserendino
Sava Velkoff,* viola
Ms. Susan Norvich
Yulia Watanabe-Price, violin
Margo and Mike Oberman
Hamed Barbarji,* trumpet
Julian Oettinger and Gail Waits, in memory of R. Lee Waits
Kyle Scully, timpani
Bruce Oltman and Bonnie McGrath†^
Alexander Wallack, bass
Earl† and Sandra Rusnak
Ebedit Fonseca, violin
Barbara and Barre Seid Foundation
Emmett Conway, horn
Micah Northam, horn
The George L. Shields Foundation, Inc.
Yat Chun Justin Pou, viola
Guillermo Ulloa, oboe
Abigail Yoon, violin
Dr. & Mrs. R. J. Solaro
Lara Madden Hughes, violin
David W. and Lucille G. Stotter Chair
Mia Smith, violin
Ruth Miner Swislow Charitable Fund
Rose Haselhorst, violin
Ms. Liisa Thomas and
Mr. Stephen Pratt
Nick Reeves, cello
Peter and Ksenia Turula
Abner Wong, trumpet
Lois and James Vrhel Endowment Fund
Albert Daschle, double bass
Paul and Lisa Wiggin
Layan Atieh, horn
Eden Stargardt,* horn
Marylou Witz
Justine Jing Xin Teo,* violin
Women’s Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association
Elizabeth Kapitaniuk, clarinet
Anonymous
J Holzen,* cello
Anonymous^
Carlos Chacon, violin
Anonymous
Hojung Christina Lee, violin
Anonymous^
Judy Huang, viola
JOIN US IN MAKING AN IMPACT!
A gift of any size supports the CSO’s industryleading efforts to educate audiences, train young musicians and serve diverse communities.
Here are some ways your gift makes a difference:
A GIFT OF $50 helps cover the cost of drumsticks and mallets used in private lessons and group instruction for a student in the Percussion Scholarship Program for an entire year.
A GIFT OF $100 helps cover the cost of printing programs for Community Open Rehearsals that engage area seniors and veterans.
A GIFT OF $150 helps cover free tickets for one classroom of CPS students to attend a CSO for Kids concert at Symphony Center.
A GIFT OF $350 helps cover the cost of a school bus to transport one classroom of CPS elementary school students and their chaperones to a CSO for Kids concert at Symphony Center.
Miracle Baby (Song for Tre’ja)
By Marlo Fields, Emma Williams, and Rex Horan
Dear Tre’ja,
When things were quiet you’d always make us laugh, Feeling grateful for the things we had. Without your silly games, things are not the same.
Dear Tre’ja,
When times were cold you’d share your winter coat And a bus fare for a friend when they were broke. You made me so proud, who’s gonna help them now?
You wrote for me these letters on the wall
And I have read them all
So lovingly I’m writing one to you
It’s what I gotta do
It’s helping me get through
Dear Tre’ja,
Looking out for ways to share the load
Carrying your turtles down the road
Family love we found, you shared this love around.
And Maya,
Eating ice cream with her french fries
The image of her sister in her eyes
Looking up to you, walking in your shoes.
Refrain
You were me, I was you, my miracle baby
You were me, say “woo, woo, woo” my miracle baby
Refrain
Love, Mama
Doina Traditional
A doina (also doină) is a quintessentially Romanian lyric vocal genre that epitomizes profound feelings of longing and melancholy sung in a free-rhythm, melismatic, and improvisational style.
Puișorii
Music by Zlata Tkach, lyrics by Grigore Vieru
Pui golași cum stați în cuib voi fără plăpumioare?
Ne-nvelim cu ale mamei calde aripioare.
Dar cînd mama nu-i acasă și ploița cerne?
Ne-nvelim atunci cu frunza ramurii materne.
Dacă mama n-o să vină și-o să cadă frunza?
Cum nu o să vină mama, cum să cadă frunza?
Baby Birds
Baby birds, how do you stay warm in your nests, without little covers?
We cover ourselves with mama’s warm wings.
What if mama’s not home and rain is falling?
We cover ourselves with the leaf from our mother’s branch.
