Deborah Happ

Volunteer Handbook

/in /by

Volunteering is the heart and soul of the Houston Symphony League.

Our mission is:

To collaboratively support the Houston Symphony’s audience development, education, and fundraising activities with engaged volunteers.

There are many ways League members can volunteer to support our mission. This Handbook focuses on those activities that directly serve the Houston Symphony. If you are interested in volunteering for one or more of these opportunities, the names of the event chairs and contact information as well as how to sign up are at the bottom.

Volunteer Opportunities

Student Concerts

Student Concerts are a favorite among our volunteers and are the Symphony’s largest Education and Community Engagement events, serving almost 60,000 students each year. Upper elementary and middle-school children from across the Greater Houston area are bused to Jones Hall, where they are treated to concerts specifically created for them. The goal of the concerts is to inspire the children to learn to play an instrument or to continue playing their instrument. It is truly a joy to help them enter and exit Jones Hall and watch them experience the joys of symphonic music.

Volunteers greet students as their buses arrive, assist them in finding their entrance doors into Jones Hall, and help them return to their buses after the concerts. There are twelve days of Student Concerts each season, with two concerts per day. We serve an average of 5,000 students each concert day. As a bonus, volunteers are encouraged to sit in and enjoy one of the two concerts.

Time Commitment: Volunteers arrive by 8:30 am and leave between 12:30 pm and 1:00 pm after all students have left Jones Hall. All Student Concerts are on weekdays, usually Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Cancellations: Persons who commit to volunteering for a Student Concert are expected to be present on those days. However, it is understood that circumstances may arise that prevent you from being present. In those cases, we ask that you contact the event chair as soon as possible. This allows time to find a replacement or to reorganize the schedule.

What to Wear: Volunteers are encouraged to wear dark pants and white tops. Comfortable shoes are a must! Name tags and Houston Symphony aprons are provided upon arrival.

Family Concerts

Family Concerts are special subscription concerts for families with young children. Each concert has a special theme, e.g., Holly Jolly Holidays, Get Up and Dance. Volunteers greet families as they enter Jones Hall, provide crafts related to the concert theme, and staff the ever-popular Instrument Petting Zoo, where children can hold and make sounds on various instruments. Depending upon the concert theme, additional activities may be added for the children. As a bonus, volunteers are encouraged to sit in and enjoy one of the two concerts.

Time Commitment: Volunteers arrive by 8:30 am and leave by 1:00 pm after the activities conclude. All Family Concerts are on Saturdays.

Cancellations: Persons who commit to volunteering for a Family Concert are expected to be present on those days. However, it is understood that circumstances may arise that prevent you from being present. In those cases, we ask that you contact the event chair as soon as possible. This allows time to find a replacement or to reorganize the schedule.

What to Wear: Volunteers are encouraged to wear dark pants and white tops. Comfortable shoes are a must! Name tags and Houston Symphony aprons are provided upon arrival.

Instrument Petting Zoo (IPZ)

Instrument Petting Zoo

Volunteers help children learn to hold and produce sound on various orchestral instruments, including strings, percussion, winds, and brass. The IPZ is available at all Family Concerts and select community events, e.g., Theater District Open House. You do not need to know how to play any instrument. You will be shown how to demonstrate this to young patrons prior to the concerts.

Crafts

The Craft Team prepares crafts for Family Concerts related to the concert theme. Crafts have included wands, masks, and many other such items. The Craft Team also prepares box violins every fall for the Symphony’s DeLUXE K!DS program. Members can sign up for Craft Preparation which is an evening of good food and conversation as we prepare craft materials and/or Family Concert Days to assist children with making their crafts on the morning of the Family Concerts. You don’t need to be an expert crafter to participate in either activity, and you can choose to do one or both!

In-Hall Concierge

Before select concerts, League members provide Concierge service to patrons. Such service includes welcoming new Symphony ticket subscribers, providing information about future concerts and subscription packages, answering questions about navigating Jones Hall, assisting the Symphony’s marketing or development staff with distributing materials, answering questions about the League, and more. New League Members receive priority in the selection of concert dates. As a thank you, volunteers are welcome to sit in and enjoy the concert.

Time Commitment: Volunteers should plan to arrive 90 minutes before the concert. The doors open an hour before concerts. Volunteers should plan to stay for 15-20 minutes after the concert, to answer any questions from patrons.

Cancellations: Persons who commit to volunteering to staff the Concierge table are expected to be present on those days. However, it is understood that circumstances may arise that prevent you from being present. In those cases, we ask that you contact the event chair as soon as possible. This allows time to find a replacement or to reorganize the schedule.

What to Wear: Volunteers are encouraged to wear concert attire. Name tags are provided upon arrival.

Musician and Staff Appreciation Breakfast and Lunch

Musician and Staff Appreciation

The League shows its appreciation for the Houston Symphony musicians and staff with a breakfast and luncheon at Jones Hall during the season. Volunteers can supply and serve food and/or contribute money to defray the costs of these events. These events are a great way to meet and interact with the Symphony musicians and staff and are a fun time for all. The breakfast is usually held in the fall and the lunch in the spring.

Benefits of Volunteering

Volunteering with the Houston Symphony offers meaningful personal and community benefits.

Impact on the Symphony and Community

  • Play an important role in supporting the Houston Symphony’s mission.
  • Help nearly 60,000 children each year enjoy memorable experiences learning about music and orchestral instruments.
  • Guide children as they explore how to make sounds on a variety of instruments.
  • Welcome guests at Symphony performances, answer questions, and help create a positive experience.

Enjoyment and Connection

  • Attend performances and enjoy hearing the Houston Symphony.
  • Build friendships with fellow League members who share your passion for the Symphony.
  • Get to know the musicians and staff who bring each performance to life.

Personal Well-Being

Volunteering can also support your physical and mental health. Research shows that volunteering may reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve overall cognitive and emotional well-being.

How to Sign Up to Volunteer

Below are the names of the event chairs for each volunteer opportunity as well as their contact information. Please feel free to contact them for more information on how you can help.

Student Concerts

Sign up by clicking

this SignUpGenius link 

or contact Deb Happ at dahapp37@gmail.com

Family Concerts

Sign up by clicking

this SignUpGenius link

or contact Darlene Clark at edwincf@swbell.net

Instrument Petting Zoo

Contact Mary Roberts at mary.laneva.roberts@gmail.com

Crafts

Contact Ann Tornyos at anntnola@gmail.com

or Kristin Turnak at kgturnak@outlook.com

In-Hall Concierge

Contact Erika Westberry at professional.landman@yahoo.com

Musician and Staff Appreciation Breakfast and Lunch

Contact Bob Chanon at robert.chanon@gmail.com

or Patty McFall at mcfallpatty@gmail.com

Tracie Welch-Brenton

2025 ELLEN KELLEY VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD – SUSAN SNIDER OSTERBERG

/in , /by

In service to the Houston Symphony League, Susan Osterberg is guided by Shakespeare’s words, “The quality of giving blesses twice: he who receives and he who gives”.

Susan’s leadership and philanthropic roles have included HSL President in 2012-2013, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, Government Affairs, the President’s Council, Strategic Planning, Arts Advocacy, Mentorship Program, Fall Luncheon Co-chair, Nominations Chair, Ima Hogg Competition, and Community Engagement. She has given support to the Annual Fund, Exploring Houston’s Arts and Culture, Underwriting chair for Opening Night, and chaired the HS Legacy Society Luncheon. In addition, Susan has led campaigns for government funding of the arts, assisted with the HSL Musician Staff Appreciation events, ushered at Student Concerts & Family Concerts, the Symphony Store, Magical Musical Morning, Casino Night 2024, and gathered auction items for the annual Symphony Ball.

When asked about memorable HSL involvement, two events come to mind. Bordeaux on the Bayou, which received the League of American Orchestras’ Gold Book Award, was an arts evening with community outreach and was shared among the Houston Symphony League, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, and the City of Houston Parks and Recreation. The event was held in the Vine Street Studios and brought together 23 arts groups who contributed to the arts evening. Attendees were surrounded by the world of performing and visual arts, friendship, and Bordeaux wine.

The second memorable initiative was HSL’s 75th Anniversary year, honoring the Diamond Anniversary Celebration, during Susan’s HSL presidency in 2012-2013. Amid twinkling lights, in the Gardens of Bayou Bend, members and friends of the League gathered to celebrate the legacy of the organization’s founder, Miss Ima Hogg. Highlights of the evening included proclamations from Mayor Anise Parker and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. During that year, Susan led the efforts for the League’s gift of a Steinway Piano for the symphony

Professionally, Susan has been a lifelong arts advocate and arts educator. She has devoted her professional career to the field of arts communication and is an educator in the Department of Arts and Communication in the University of Houston System. 

Various other professional assignments have included her association with the Nina Vance Alley Theatre, the Elementary School for Creative and Performing Arts, and a residency at the National Endowment for the Arts. Susan was one of three American women selected to represent the United States in Sierra Leone, where she introduced the arts of Texas to the people of West Africa. 

Susan is married to Edward C. Osterberg, Jr. They have one son, Charles, a partner at Urology Austin in Austin, Texas.

The Ellen Kelley Volunteer of the Year Award is given in recognition of outstanding service to the Houston Symphony league and the Houston Symphony. The Award was established in 1984 and named after its first recipient, Ellen Kelley. The honoree has special qualities of purposeful involvement, the ability to inspire others, meets goals with a vision for the present and the future, hard work in the trenches, productivity, ingenuity and ongoing support and leadership are all important qualities of the recipient.

William Cavanaugh

A Lifetime of Service: Angela Apollo’s Passionate Patronage of the Houston Symphony 

/in /by

When thinking of Houston Symphony volunteers, few have had a longer or more varied tenure than Angela Apollo. As a Symphony subscriber, donor, and League member for over 30 years, Apollo has been a valued member of the Symphony community.

Angela has always had an appreciation for music. Growing up on the coast of Italy in Calabria, she often huddled around the radio with her family on Saturday afternoons to listen to operas and classical music. She began playing piano as a child—a hobby she continued into adulthood. She came to New York City as a foreign exchange student in the 1960s, where she met her husband, Anthony Apollo, at a party. “He asked for my phone number, and that was it!” Angela reminisces. They got married and lived in New York City for 11 years until Anthony’s job transferred them to Houston.  

After moving, Angela fell in love with Houston and its extensive arts scene. Angela became involved in several organizations—she served as a volunteer docent at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH), was a member of the MFAH Guild, and is a Trustee at the Houston Grand Opera. However, as a musician herself, her love of the Symphony was unmatched. Angela and Anthony—also an avid piano player—began subscribing to Symphony Classical Series concerts in the 1980s when the Symphony had concerts on Monday nights. Although her children weren’t as interested in seeing orchestra performances (“They were much more interested in KISS at the time,” Angela remembered with a smile), concerts became a cherished bonding activity for her and her late husband. “We loved seeing a show and discussing the performance together on the way home,” says Angela. She has many treasured memories of her time with Symphony—both at concerts and as a volunteer. 

Beginning in 1990, she joined the Houston Symphony League and over the years volunteered at Student Concerts, fundraisers for the Symphony, luncheons, and in the Archives. Angela’s service to the orchestra earned her the Crystal Cello Award in 2002, a League award that honors outstanding volunteers whose dedication and service make a lasting impact on the education programs of the Houston Symphony. These days, she’s slowed down in her volunteer duties, occasionally coming out of League retirement to help organize certain events like the Musician and Staff Appreciation Luncheon (where her famous meatballs are a hit amongst the attendees). “From 1986 to 2019, I did everything—I think it’s someone else’s turn now,” she remarks with a chuckle. Angela still attends Symphony concerts, and you can often find her at Jones Hall on Sunday afternoons. “For the Mahler Songs of the Earth show, I had extra tickets and brought along four friends of mine. One friend had never been to a Symphony concert before and was blown away by the performance,” says Angela. “I always try to bring new people to concerts and expose them to the Symphony.” 

William Cavanaugh

Symphony’s Family Series serves as introduction to classical music

/in /by

The atmosphere inside Jones Hall during a typical Houston Symphony performance is a model of decorum. Silence and stillness prevail; anything more than an occasional cough is conspicuous. This is not the case during a concert in the orchestra’s Family Series.
To read the entire article click here.

Ann Cavanaugh

Making Music At Home

/in /by

Music plays a significant role in connecting families and groups of people, even during this time of being socially distanced from one another. Enjoy these activities and videos put together for children and families to enjoy music at home. There are also resources below designed to encourage student musicians to continue their musical development. Have fun making music! Click Here for more information and ideas.