Newsletter
April 2015
Proudly supporting
the Colorado Springs
Philharmonic.
President’s Note
How fortunate are we in the CSPG to have musical friends like Charlotte Baker, owner of
Graner Music! Our March Membership Meeting was a huge success not only because of the
very bright, upbeat atmosphere of her place but we can thank Linda Johnson (again) for her
wonderful array of “brunchie food.” Linda’s sidekick, Olympia Vida, our 2014 scholarship
winner, was there to help serve beautifully homemade wraps and other morsels provided by
Anne Young, Nora Durham, Mary Martin and Marion and John Meyer.
For the first time, our scholarship winners could play music of their choice instead of the
music with which they won. Jory Lane, for instance, played a mandolin concerto instead of his
winning violin piece. The entire program was enthusiastically received by all. We are making a
difference in the lives of these talented young people.
Join Bob Allen and me to celebrate Mother’s Day evening, May 10 (6:00 p.m.), with Maestro Josep and Monica and little Marc at the Cheyenne Mountain Country Club, near the
Broadmoor Hotel on Lake Avenue. If you are unable to attend, why not send a donation to
CSPG to help defray costs and to add to our funds for the Philharmonic. It is another way you
can take part in an event without actually serving on a committee.
Our next membership meeting will be in May … Tuesday, May 19 at 6:00 p.m. in the Penrose
House, former home of Julie and Spencer
Penrose, on Mesa Avenue. It will be catered …
giving Linda Johnson a breather, but she will
have the Woodrose Quartet to entertain us.
Thank you to Robin Gates, Nominating
Committee Chairman, Carole Harper and
Nancy Pittman for assembling an excellent slate of officers to be nominated. Our
thanks as well to those willing to serve.
You’ll find the slate in this newsletter.
A huge thanks to Marion and John Meyer,
who, between his travels overseas and her
work and volunteering in Colorado Springs,
have made our year with them a delight.
They have been
continued on page 2
In this
issue:
Event calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Philharmonic concerts . . . . . . . . 2
Mother’s Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Nancy Pittman . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
April 2015 Newsletter • guild.csphilharmonic.org
Treasurer’s report . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Membership notes . . . . . . . . . . 6
Slate of Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Youth Symphony winners . . . . . . 7
continued from page 1
the dynamic duo as Marketing and Communications Chair and as Treasurer.
We have such a hard working board, and I believe we all, including the membership, are ready
for the next challenge. My thanks to each and all for work well done!
Musically yours,
Pamela Street, Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild
Upcoming Calendar
• April 14 Board Meeting
10:00 a.m. at Cheyenne Mountain Propagation Co.
830 Tenderfoot Hill Rd. Suite 200 80906; contact 576-4424
• May 10 Fundraiser: Mother’s Day Dinner with Josep, Monica, and Marc
6:00 p.m. Social Hour, 7:00 p.m. Dinner at Cheyenne Mountain Country Club
9 Lake Ave. 80906
• May 12 Board Meeting
10:00 a.m. at Cheyenne Mountain Propagation Co.
830 Tenderfoot Hill Rd. Suite 200 80906; contact 576-4424
Mother’s Day Sunset Dinner
with Josep and Family
• May 19 Annual Membership Meeting
6:00 p.m. at Penrose House, 1661 Mesa Ave. 80906
• June 19 Board Changeover Luncheon (details TBA)
Upcoming Philharmonic Concerts
Brahms 1
April 18-19, 2015 • El Pomar Foundation Masterworks
Josep Caballé-Domenech, conductor • Alban Gerhardt, cello
Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme
Brahms Symphony No. 1
Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin
April 25, 2015 • Vanguard Performances
Josep Caballé-Domenech, conductor • A Chicago Symphony Beyond the Score presentation
Discover the drama and intrigue of Bartók’s fiendish tale when Josep Caballé-Domenech and
the Philharmonic perform his pantomime, The Miraculous Mandarin.
Last year, for the first time ever, the Guild hosted a Mother’s Day Dinner with Josep and his
family. The dinner was designed as a replacement for the May luncheon that had taken place
in previous years. The Board felt that if we held an evening event, we may be able to attract
more people, raise awareness of the Guild and attract new Guild members. It worked on all
counts! The decision to hold the event on Mother’s Day was driven by Josep’s schedule as
well as other events taking place in Colorado Springs around the same time. It was a gamble—we knew—but we went ahead with it anyway and again, it worked!
Over 100 people attended the event held at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort rendering us several new Guild members and lots of new friends! We received numerous accolades regarding
the event with most attendees saying they would definitely return if we did it again. We are
indeed going to do it again, as Josep’s schedule once more has him in Colorado Springs on
Mother’s Day. Monica and Marc will also be here to celebrate with us. This year, the event is
being held at the beautiful and historic Cheyenne Mountain Country Club on Lake Ave. (not
to be confused with Cheyenne Mountain Resort.) For many of us it provides a unique opportunity to experience this prestigious country club.
May 8-9, 2015 • Philharmonic Pops
Josep Caballé-Domenech, conductor
The chef has prepared a wonderful surf and turf menu and the flowers will be in bloom! This
is an event that Guild members should not miss! If you do not have alternative plans, put on
your best spring cocktail attire, bring family or friends and plan to join us for this very special
evening with Josep and his family.
Combining scenes from the original 1940 Fantasia and Fantasia 2000, selections from two
of Disney’s animated crown jewels are screened with live orchestra.
Reservations at guild.csphilharmonic.org. Email questions to [email protected]
or call Ros Block at (719)247-8686 for more information.
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April 2015 Newsletter • guild.csphilharmonic.org
Disney Fantasia
Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild
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In addition to Panama, Garry and Nancy had tours in Bamberg, Mannheim, and Berlin, Germany. They had tours in: Indiana, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Kansas, and Washington
state. Nancy jokes that she once lived in three sets of housing in 14 months. When asked
which place she enjoyed the most, she replies: “Berlin! We had a wonderful German house
and a very active entertainment life. Garry was the Provost Marshal of the American Sector
and was there when the Berlin Wall came down. What excitement at Checkpoint Charlie!”
Nancy grew up on a dairy farm in Michigan and met Garry at Central Michigan University.
She has a teaching degree from CMU and a Masters from UCCS. They married immediately
after Garry’s CMU graduation and started on their Army adventures. While at CMU Nancy
joined Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and she has been active with their volunteer support
team for years.
The Guild expresses its gratitude for all Nancy has done to support it!
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, [email protected], 719-238-1660.
What We Do:
Nancy Pittman
Thank you to Nancy Pittman for 19 years as Chairman of the Nutcracker Boutique!
Nancy Pittman and her husband, Garry, arrived in Colorado Springs the summer of 1992,
directly from his assignment in the Republic of Panama, to allow him to retire as a Lieutenant
Colonel in the Army after 23 years of service. Here they purchased their very first house.
Nancy immediately became involved with the Symphony Guild and worked her first Holiday
Home Tour that fall. Nancy says: “The Symphony Guild members became the center of my
new social life.” Nancy has always felt the need to be of service to her community. She was
Guild President 1995-97 and 2001-02. She brought the Nutcracker Boutique fundraiser to
the Guild, as well as the relationship with the Youth Symphony for scholarships. She has also
served on the Board of Directors for the Symphony Orchestra, Youth Symphony and Partners
in Housing. While in Germany, she was National President of a Germany-wide women’s
organization (AWAG) and President of a German-American Club.
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Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild
April 2015 Newsletter • guild.csphilharmonic.org
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Treasurer’s Report
Youth Symphony
Solo Competition Winners
February 28, 2015, prepared by John Meyer, Treasurer
Cash
Admin checking account
Scholarship account
Scholarship CDs
Fundraising account
Fundraising savings account
$7,400.29
$2,855.22
$3,849.07
$27,162.89
$5,080.04
Total cash as of February 28, 2015
$46,347.51
Outstanding check: $25,000
contribution to Philharmonic
Funds available after check clears
$25,000.00
$21,347.51
Jessica Shand Flute, First Place
Jessica Shand began playing the flute at the age of eight in her elementary school band, and
picked up the piccolo in sixth grade. This year, she was the principal flute of the Colorado AllState Symphony Orchestra and the Colorado University High School Honor Band. She won a
National Young Arts Foundation merit award, is one of twelve members on the 2015-2016
Young Musicians Foundation roster, and was named an Emerson Scholar in the 2015 Interlochen Arts Camp’s World Youth Orchestra. Her teachers have included Shaina Rush, Kristi
Davis, and Debby Blake, and she is currently studying with Brook Ferguson. Outside of music,
her passion is in science, and she recently won first place in the category of the biology in the
regional science fair for her research on plant systematics. Jory Lane Violin, Second Place
Dues have been paid by 93 members.
Membership Notes
Slate of officers for 2015-16:
The nominating committee is proud to present its slate of officers for 2015-16:
Jory (14) has played violin since he was two. Jory started out on violin and has since learned
the mandolin, guitar, upright bass, cello, ukulele, toaster (we won’t go into that) and is working on the banjo. He is in his 7th season of the Youth Symphony and this past June toured to
Japan. He plays guitar on the worship team at his church Cowboys for Jesus. He enjoys Celtic
music and in his spare time can be found either with a book, making things with his dad’s shop
tools, eating or sleeping.
Roslyn Block, President
Lars Gronhagen, Vice President, Special Events and Fundraising
Mary Ellis, Secretary
OPEN, Marketing and Communications
Janice Cross, Treasurer
Pamela Street, Membership
Linda Johnson, Programs and Locations
Morrigane Dowler Oboe, Third Place
Current membership rates:
Single: $35
Family: $60
Andrew has been playing violin since he was five years old. He decided he wanted to play
the violin when he and his parents went to a restaurant in Texas, and children of all ages were
playing fiddle music to entertain those eating. From that point on he begged his parents for
lessons on the violin, and the soon began those lessons. He was taught by Angela Wright for
the first couple of years in San Antonio until his family moved to Boston when he was 7 years
old. At that point he studied at a conservatory for a year and was completely burnt out by the
rigors of the program. By the end of that year in Boston, he decided to quit the violin; however, when he moved to Colorado Springs (at age 8) he was inspired to continue playing because of the orchestra program at his new elementary school, The DaVinci Academy. Andrew
soon began to study under violist, Margaret Miller and joined the Colorado Springs Youth
Symphony Association for the first time in the fourth grade. In eighth grade, he decided to
pursue violin more vigorously and began to study under Jeri Jorgensen. That year he joined
the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony as one of two middle schoolers. For the past several
years, Andrew has been working to improve on technique and solo work on the violin, as well
as being very involved in school and sports. Andrew plans to major in computer science in
college, but says playing the violin will always be a part of his life.
Morrigane attends Cheyenne Mountain High School, and has been playing for nine years.
Her teacher is Nancy Brown. She has played in the Colorado All-State Orchestra for three
years, the Colorado All-State Band for two years, and the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony
Organization for seven years, two years in Encore, and five years in the Youth Symphony.
Andrew Wireman Violin, Fourth Place
Sustaining Individual: $75
Sustaining Family: $125
Renew your membership by July 30 for 2015-16!
You may also renew at the May 19 membership meeting.
More information about joining the Guild can be found at guild.csphilharmonic.org.
Colorado Springs Symphonic Guild Leadership
2014-15 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
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2014-15 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
Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild
April 2015 Newsletter • guild.csphilharmonic.org
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guild.csphilharmonic.org
PO Box 7584
Colorado Springs, CO 80933