William Cavanaugh

Mary Fusillo: Ardyce Tostengard Crystal Cello Award Winner 2024

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As Co-Vice Presidents of the Houston Symphony League Education Committee, Rita Aron and I, in concert with Allison Conlan, Director of Community Engagement, are honored to present this year’s Ardyce Tostengard Crystal Cell Award to Mary Fusillo.

Mary is a Houston native and is committed to the city and its vibrant arts community. She has been a member of the Houston Symphony League for over 25 years and is an ardent volunteer and advocate for the Symphony’s education programs.

Mary has long served as a volunteer for the Student and Family Concerts. Despite the rigors of being a business owner, mother of twins, and wife, Mary has always made time to volunteer. As this year’s League President, Mary strongly advocated for the Student and Family Concerts. In every eCounterpoint newsletter and at every Board meeting, Mary never failed to mention the importance of the Symphony’s education offerings and encourage League members to sign up and volunteer with her. She even put in a good word about the Student Concerts when she appeared on KIAH Channel 39 in February.

Allison had this to say –

Upon reflecting on the past several years of working with Mary at our Education events, I’ve come to appreciate her presence in profound ways.

First, Mary possesses an innate ability to discern and address the needs of any situation. I have found myself quietly relieved when she is around, knowing that she will spring into action with a solution before I have the chance to articulate the problem. Mary’s focus is always centered on ensuring the best possible experience for students, a trait I deeply appreciate.

Second, Mary’s infectious energy ensures that any event she attends is bound to be a memorable one. Her sense of humor and warmth have a remarkable way of fostering an atmosphere of camaraderie and joy. Witnessing volunteers share laughter and forge meaningful connections is truly a testament to her ability to uplift and inspire those around her.

Last, with the countless responsibilities she holds in her role as the Houston Symphony League’s President, her unwavering commitment and consistent presence at our Education events underscores the importance of our collective efforts to serve our community. I’m truly grateful for Mary’s dedication to upholding the highest standards of quality and compassion, reminding us of the profound significance of the work we can achieve together.

Mary’s presence is not just felt; it’s cherished, celebrated, and deeply appreciated by the Houston Symphony family. Congratulations, Mary!

William Cavanaugh

2023 Ellen Kelley Volunteer of the Year – Karinne McCullough

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The Ellen Kelley Volunteer of the Year Award is given in recognition of outstanding service to the Houston Symphony League. Our Houston Symphony League directory is dedicated to this year’s winner, Karinne McCullough.

As a POPS concert subscriber since 1990, Karinne came to know the League in Spring 2014 through a B# Brunch program featuring Principal POPS conductor Michael Krajewski. At the Fall Membership Lunch, she signed up to try almost every volunteer opportunity at least once and life as a volunteer with the League began.

Karinne’s participation spans Education – Student Concert Usher, Family Concerts, Junior Patrons, Instrument Petting Zoo, Crafts, Ima Hogg Competition Judges’ Hospitality Liaison and Liaison for Winner’s Community Residency (both pioneer roles); Fundraising for violins for Lewis Elementary students, Magical Musical Morning; Symphony Community Outreach as liaison for Community Embedded Musicians, escorting CEMs to bedside visits with oncology patients at Texas Children’s Hospital and importantly, simply providing a “pair of hands” behind the scene.

Leadership roles include Recording Secretary (2021-23); Annual Fund Chair (2022); By-Laws Committee (2022); Vice President of Education; Strategic Planning Committee (3 years); Nominating Committee (3 years), and Co-chair of Mailing Committee (3 years). She is a member of the Symphony’s Education Committee. Karinne was the recipient of the 2019 Ardyce Tostengard Crystal Cello Award. She and husband Bill are members of the Houston Symphony Legacy Society.

Professionally, Karinne taught pre-school and elementary children with language-learning disabilities. She was a consultant for publishers of classroom material. Karinne holds a JD from South Texas College of Law. In private practice, she focused on insurance defense and appeals before joining the First Court of Appeals as a staff attorney. She served as the Court Administrator until appointed Clerk of the Court, retiring from the Court after 13 years of public service. Other volunteer organizations include the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary and the Barbara Bush Ladies for Literacy Guild.

Karinne and Bill attend South Main Baptist Church where she sings in the Sanctuary Choir. She also serves on the Board of Directors at 2016 Main Condominiums where they live with their two cats, Jack and Red.

William Cavanaugh

Houston’s Lunch of Secrets Earns the Symphony League a Coveted National Gold Award

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Applause, applause for the Houston Symphony League which has received a coveted Gold Award for one of its special events from the Volunteer Council of the League of American Orchestras, a national leadership group of individuals recognized for outstanding support of their local symphony orchestras.

To read the entire article, please visit Paper City

William Cavanaugh

Ellen Kelley 2022 Volunteer of the Year Award Winner – April Lykos

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April Lykos

The Ellen Kelley Volunteer of the Year Award is given in recognition of outstanding service to the Houston Symphony League and the Houston Symphony. It 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.

The Ellen Kelley Volunteer of the Year recipient for 2022 is April Lykos! April truly exemplifies these qualities and the award is richly deserved.

April was born and raised in Dallas. Her love of music was influenced by her parents, who provided 14 years of piano lesson. This paid off for April. While she attended UT, she played piano for sororities and the business school follies for $1/song!
April then went on to earn a law degree and became a bankruptcy lawyer in NYC. A chance meeting with Stanley Marcus led to a successful retail career at Neiman Marcus, where not only was she a buyer, but also turned around merchant divisions.

April moved to Houston 22 years ago with husband Tom, who yearned to be back with his beloved Greek community, accompanied by baby Tommy. Two other children Helen and Phillip followed. It was through her daughter, Helen and her preschool, that April met Houston Symphony cellist, Brinton Smith. April soon become a subscriber, a Houston Symphony Society Board member and joined the League in 2007.

Since 2007, she has served in 11 Board positions including President’s Luncheon Co-Chair, Store Merchandising Chair, Ima Hogg Co-Chair and Chair, Presidential Advisor, Orchestrated Luncheon Co-Chair, President’s Council, and TASO, LAO and AMSOV Rep.
In addition, she helped with the inaugural Children’s Fashion Show, Magical Musical Morning and as Auction Chair for the Casablanca Gala as well as Opening Night and Wine Dinner committees. April often made volunteering at the Symphony a family affair by bringing her daughter, Helen along to work in the Store and The Children’s Fashion Show.

Ellen Kelley 2022 Volunteer of the Year Award Winner – April Lykos

April received multiple nominations this year for the Ellen Kelley Award. Comments from the nominations noted that she was seminal in making the Symphony Store a success for many years. It is also mentioned that she went above the call of duty by holding workshops for computer payment knowledge when she was Merchandising Chair. It is certainly due to April’s love of music and retail genius that the Symphony Store income exceeded financial goals. And how many items did we all buy at the Store from charming April behind the counter?

When she was the Ima Hogg Competition Chair, she put in place a major underwriter that raised the first prize money from $5,000 to $25,000, which helped improve the competition’s standing. She also put in place the Host Family Program and secured medical cards from Methodist Hospital’s, The Center for the Arts Medicine, for the competition finalist.

During April’s time as TASO and LAO Rep, she was instrumental in co-writing submissions about the League’s accomplishments so that other organizations could learn from our successes. Submissions for Lewis Elementary and Fundraising Pop-ups won TASO and LAO awards in 2021. A submission on Interface Improvements Between the Symphony and League Websites and Conversations with an Icon won TASO awards in 2022. A submission co -written by April about John and Lindy Rydman and SPEC’S won a Business Award of Excellence.

April continues to be Symphony patron. She enjoys not only attending concerts, but loves all the League projects she has been able to contribute to and the friendships that she has made during her time as a League member.

Congratulations April!

William Cavanaugh

Ardyce Tostengard Crystal Cello Award Winner for 2021-22 is Robert Chanon

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Robert Chanon

The Crystal Cello award is presented each year by the Houston Symphony League to an outstanding education volunteer for serving and inspiring others and bringing the joy and splendor of music to children and their families in the Houston community.

This award was established in 2000 to honor the memory of Ardyce Tostengard, a long-time education volunteer known for her dedication, service and lasting impact on the education programs of the Houston Symphony and for inspiring others. This is the 21st year the Crystal Cello Award has been given. The recipient this year is Robert Chanon. 

Robert has been a Symphony Subscriber since 1978. He joined the Houston Symphony League after he retired. Since joining, he has assisted Symphony staff and League members with musician auditions and served as an usher during student concerts.

Bob has helped with the instrument “petting zoo” and craft activities during Magical Musical Morning and Family concerts. He has been a volunteer at several Ima Hogg Competitions as well as at Orchestra lunches. Since last year, he has helped with social media photography for Houston Symphony League events.

Bob demonstrates the same quiet, modest, low-key leadership for which Ardyce Tostengard was known. He also demonstrates persistence, dedication and commitment. He is always upbeat and on the spot when you need help. As Bob says, “The Houston Symphony is a treasure for everyone who lives in Houston. Supporting it is both a privilege and honor.”



Congratulations, Bob!

April Lykos

Lewis Elementary Violin Residency Program Expansion Project wins a Gold Award of Excellence.

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LEWIS ELEMENTARY VIOLIN RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Gold Award of Excellence

The Gold Award of Excellence recognizes best-in-class programs or initiatives that have made a significant impact on their orchestras and can be shared for use by other orchestras.

Our Lewis Elementary Violin Residency Program is one of six entries throughout the country to receive this high honor.  Through our successful partnership with the Houston Symphony Society and our League’s amazing fundraising creativity we were able to put more than 80 violins into the hands of underserved children, and pay our Community Embedded Musicians (CEM) for weekly instruction. We also provided classroom observers to gage progress in many areas. https://www.houstonsymphonyleague.com/index.php/category/award/

League of American Orchestras Volunteer Council

Project Description:

Background:  In 2018, the Houston Symphony League was provided a unique opportunity to participate in the initial development of the Houston Symphony’s music education initiative – a Three-year String Instruction Program for Third, Fourth and Fifth grade students at an underserved HISD elementary school:  Lewis Elementary.   The Violin Residency was intended to develop as a model that could be replicated at other underserved elementary schools. 

The Symphony’s Community Embedded Musicians provided in-school violin instruction along with after-school violin classes.  In addition, the Symphony League helped support the purchase of 40 violins, sheet music and related supplies for ongoing maintenance of the instruments.  Not only was the program successful that year, but the After-School Program became oversubscribed to the point that additional violins and supplies were needed.  What began with some 20 children expanded to 40+ by the end of the school year.  The Symphony wanted to expand the After-School Program so that up to 80 students could participate.

Latest work:   In the second year of the program (June 2019 – June 2020), the League not only continued but stepped up their passionate involvement with this program to add 40 more violins and contribute toward the Musicians’ additional instruction costs.

Purpose and Goals:  The driving purposes were to (i) bring music to an underserved community with great needs and who would not otherwise have this exposure; (ii) increase access to music; (iii) improve the quality of life and bring joy to Houston residents; and (iv) enable people to make connections with music and the Houston Symphony.

Motivation and Need:

Education is a long-standing, top priority and initiative for both the League and the Symphony.  The need to create opportunities to provide consistent inroads and connections between music study, appreciation and understanding becomes greater each year with school budget cuts and less focus on the arts.

Expanding the number of violins would mean students could take a violin home to practice.  The school developed a check-out procedure that the parent and the student signed committing to the care and return of the instrument.

Timeline:

Since this submission covers the second year of the program, the strategy and content had been conceived and created, which was done in collaboration with the Symphony organization.  By this point, some of the bugs and details had been worked through and the League added fundraising, classroom observations and student/parent liaison to their participation.  The project ran the entire 2019-’20 school year.

August:  meetings with Symphony and League Education Departments; Classroom Observation format and other materials prepared for the current season.

September – Volunteers assisted students during a Mexican holiday after-school community event with other musical groups.

September – December: Classroom observations conducted by two League volunteers.  Community Embedded Musicians (2) worked on repertoire and lesson plans.

Fundraising:

In the second year, 2019-20, the League was asked to purchase an additional 40 violins (@ $300/ea = $12,000) and support additional instruction time of the voluntary After-school Program ($14,927 for 24 weeks or $621.95/wk).  The League had raised $22,314 by the time of the coronavirus shutdown. 

Most of the donations were from (i) individuals after hearing about the program; (ii) A “Conversation with a Musician” pop-up fundraiser and dinner held for 12 attendees @ $150/ea, raising $1,800; and (iii) the re-selling of 4 tickets at a salon concert/dinner at $300/ea = $1,200.  There were 2-3 mini-fundraisers on the drawing board for the Spring that got cancelled due to the shutdown.

Impact on the Community:

In addition to playing music, the growth in self-confidence, leadership, self-concept, cooperation, social and emotional growth of the kids led the Houston Symphony and League to understand the correlation of music and its profound effect on an underserved community.

Also, through this introduction to the violin and the Houston Symphony, parents brought their kids to the Symphony’s Saturday morning Family Concerts and started becoming engaged in a world previously unknown to them and a world that aids their kids in confidence as they learn.  One of the areas that they especially grew in confidence was math, which also led to success in overall academics.

The school saw the benefits realized and hired a second music teacher to aid in the growing number of students.

Olivia, 5th grade student: “At first I was a little nervous [to perform] but when you actually have a passion for the violin and you start playing, you feel the nerves go away and then at the end you feel proud of yourself. With playing the violin, you have to work hard to be able to play it. When I’m done playing the violin I go back to the class and work hard there too.”

April Lykos

Spotlight Award -League of American Orchestras – FUNDRAISING POP UPS

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The Houston Symphony League wins more prestigious awards. The most recent from the League of American Orchestras.  These award entries were submitted in early September by our representative April Lykos.

Project Description:

The Houston Symphony League was determined to meet the financial goal for the Symphony’s major holiday fundraiser.  How could they leverage all their skills and creativity toward making financial goals and raising money in these times?

With out-of-the-box thinking came the concept of Pop-Ups.  Pop-Ups are mini-fundraisers of unlimited variety, held to raise money and contribute toward the goal of a major event.

The major event to be supported was Magical Musical Morning (MMM), an annual holiday program that supports the Houston Symphony’s Education and Community Outreach.  The goal was $70,000.

To assist in meeting this goal, the League created two Pop-Ups: (i) Magical Musical Morning Salon Concert; and (ii) Magical Musical Morning Tea at Kiran’s.

Purpose and Goals: 

(i) raise money for MMM; (ii) delightfully engage audiences at a salon concert/dinner in a donor home with a HS musician and at a morning tea enhanced by a harpist, champagne and fascinators; (iii) hold events geared toward adults, where MMM is geared toward children and grandchildren; (iv) develop potential new patrons for MMM and the Houston Symphony by targeted invitations for each Pop-Up; (v) capture attendees who may otherwise not be able to support the major event, due to ticket price, timing, interest, etc.; and (vi) have fun and fellowship with patrons, league members, musicians and symphony subscribers!

Motivation and Need:

The League is always assessing how they can raise more net revenues and open opportunities to increase their membership base.  The Pop-Ups achieved that and more.  Its targeted, smaller scale and unlimited themes made it a perfect base to raise money and highlight the attributes of the League and the Symphony – thus, becoming attractive to donors and new members alike.

New Information/Ideas gained from the Project:

(i) The ‘Pearls of the Symphony’ were created; these are League volunteers who acted as hostesses/ambassadors and were assigned to different rooms/guests.  They also made party favors ahead of time in the host’s home; (ii) Pop-Ups are a great source of additional revenue and a way to gain traction for a larger event.  The major event gets several financial ‘bites at the apple’ instead of just one; (iii) The musician/attendee interaction was fun and engaging; (iv) Donor support is not one-size-fits-all; we raised money for the whole by providing unique, smaller, targeted and special micro-events that raised money to support the larger need; and (v) The events were lovely and a fun time was had by all!

Volunteer Requirements – number of volunteers and how were they used?

Salon Concert:  15, including the Pearls of the Symphony.  The Pearls acted as hostesses in each room location and were assigned to 14-16 guests.  They utilized color coding to assign guests to three different rooms for cocktails, dinner and conversation.  They led the guests into the concert area for the performance. 

Tea at Kiran’s:  3 Chairmen worked with Chef Kiran, considered the ‘godmother of Indian fine dining,’ to plan the menu; the Chairs provided champagne and guest favors, including fascinator hats made by one of the Chairs.  On-site, the 3 Chairs, along with 2 Symphony staff were on hand to ensure a seamless event.  Some of the Pearls were guests and also acted as helpful volunteers.

Timeline:

The beauty of Fundraising Pop-Ups is that they can be conceived, directed and executed in very short order.

Salon Concert:  In September, planning for the November 10, 2019 event began.  Betty Tutor, VP of Fundraising conceived the idea and put it in motion.  One of the Pearls created the invitation.  In October, invitations were sent.  In early November, the Pearls met at Betty’s house and worked on cookie favors.  Betty organized the meal and musicians.  Event was held Sunday, November 10, 2019.

Tea at Kiran’s:  In March, 2020 the idea was developed at a meeting for MMM.  In May, event date was set.  In late August, the Chairs met and drafted the invitation.  In October, the invitations were sent and the event was promoted at various League meetings and events for the Saturday, November 2, 2019 tea.

Fundraising:

The expenses for the Fundraising Pop-Ups are typically donated by the hosts; they can be as small or as large as the donor wants and are limited only by one’s imagination.  Several people can participate.    The net revenue generated:  $6,000 – Salon Concert and $4,000 – Tea at Kiran’s.

Overall, the Magical Musical Morning major event raised $107,500 (goal was $70,000).  The net revenue was $80,000.  $10,000 of that net revenue was contributed by the Pop-Ups.  Not only did the Pop-Ups contribute directly to the bottom line, but they also added excitement and build-up throughout the Symphony community and beyond.  People who supported a Pop-Up felt excited about supporting MMM, whether they were attending or not.  League members who may not generally get involved with MMM were excited about the Pop-Ups, which led to their interest in MMM.  A win-win situation!

Ann Cavanaugh

2020 Ellen Kelley Award Winner – Jane Clark

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The Ellen Kelley Volunteer of the Year Award is given in recognition of outstanding service to the Houston Symphony League. This year’s winner is Jane Clark.
Jane has been a member of the Houston Symphony League for more than 20 years. Jane is a past President of the League and has served in numerous board positions, including Ima Hogg Competition Chair,  Junior Patrons Chair, Recording Secretary and B Sharp Brunch Chair. She has also chaired the League’s Spring Luncheon and Holiday Luncheon and continues to open her home to host board meetings and offer support and guidance to League presidents. Jane has been a leader in other charitable organizations, serving as PTA President and President of Bayou Villages Chapter of National Charity League. She also enjoys being a member of Memorial Drive Garden Club and two local book clubs.
Jane was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her parents served as a lasting influence on her. Her mom was a volunteer in many areas of their community. Her father was a lover of all the arts, including classical music.   She remembers clearly when he took her to see the Nutcracker ballet as a child and her first school orchestra concert (Peter and the Wolf at the Atlanta Symphony). She was a member of her church choir and her high school choir.
She attended Emory University and earned an undergraduate degree in business.  She then moved to New Orleans and met her husband, Jerry. Soon after they were married, they moved to Chicago. Here Jane went back to school and earned her MBA . Jane and Jerry have also lived in New Orleans, Denver and London. Along the way three children were born: Christine, Daniel and Russell. Jane and Jerry are the proud grandparents of Alex, Samuel and newborn Eli. Jane is sharing her love of music with her grandchildren and loves bringing 4-year-old Alex to Saturday Family Concerts.
Jane feels that while she has had many different arts /musical influences in her life from jazz in New Orleans, to blues in Chicago and classical and opera in London, it was not until she moved to Houston that she found her musical home.  It was in Houston that former Symphony League president Shirley Pearson persuaded her to join the League, and her love of music has grown ever since. Jerry and Jane enjoy their symphony evenings together as a stress free time.  Jane loves volunteering and the friends she has made through the Houston Symphony League.  Jane Clark is a worthy recipient of the Ellen Kelley Volunteer of the Year Award. Her positive nature and good humor are evident in everything she does and make her a joy to work with.

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Ann Cavanaugh

2019 Ardyce Tostengard Crystal Cello Award Winner – Leslie Siller

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This award is presented each year by the Houston Symphony League to an outstanding education volunteer for serving and inspiring others and bringing the joy and splendor of music to children and their families in the Houston community

This award was established in 2000 to honor the memory of Ardyce Tostengard, a long-time education volunteer for her dedication, service and lasting impact on the education programs of the Houston Symphony, for inspiring others and for bringing the joy and splendor of music to children and their families in the Houston community. This is the 20th year the Ardyce Tostengard Crystal Cello Award has been given.  This year’s recipients of the Ardyce Tostengard Crystal Cello Award are Betty & Gerry Stacy. 

Betty & Gerry have lived in Friendswood since 1974. They have three sons, a daughter and three grandchildren. Since they retired in 2009, Betty & Gerry have been very active in their community-volunteering at the Houston Rodeo and a concession stand at the Astros games. They run their Episcopal Church’s resale shop. They enjoy travel and visits to Vegas & Louisiana. A large part of “being active in their community” has been their membership in both the Bay Area Symphony League and the Houston Symphony League. As a member of the Bay Area Symphony League, Betty began volunteering in the Jones Hall Symphony Store and was the buyer with Joyce Fox for several years. Betty & Gerry have volunteered for the Ima Hogg Competition. And, this year, Betty is the V-P of Education for the Bay Area League.  But, for at least the last 10 years, they have truly shone in their dedication & commitment to the Student Concerts and every year work almost all of them. Betty has co-chaired Student Concerts with both Joyce Fox and Gayle Eury. Betty & Gerry demonstrate the same quiet, modest, low-key leadership that Ardyce Tostengard was known for and for persistence, dedication, & commitment. They have involved others in service and have expanded the League’s ability to support our mission to support the Symphony’s Student Concerts-the Symphony’s bedrock program that brings music to Houston Area children.

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