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Winter 2011
LIMA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Your Professional Regional Symphony
A Quarterly Newsletter for Lovers of Music
LSO WELCOMES GUEST CONDUCTOR ROBERT TOMARO
Audience members will see a new face leading our
orchestra at our Bells, Brass and Bows concert, guest
conductor Robert Tomaro.
Maestro Tomaro is currently Music Director of
the Beloit Janesville Symphony in Beloit, Wisconsin,
and was recently honored to be chosen by Maestro
Christoph Eschenback as one of eight conductors in
The Christoph Eschenback International Masterclass
with the Crakow Sinfonietta in Crakow, Poland.
Dr. Tomaro is a graduate of Northwestern
University and New York University, and received his
master’s degree and his Ph.D. in composition while
serving as Music Director of the New York University
Orchestra. His credits include concerts and CD
recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra, the
Slovak Radio Orchestra, the Silesian Philharmonic
Orchestra of Poland, the Black Sea Philharmonic
of Romania, the Hayes Symphony in London and
the Fairbanks Symphony in Alaska. He has toured
extensively throughout Scandinavia, England, France,
Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech
Republic.
Maestro Tomaro will take the podium along with
Choral Director Dr. Mark Munson, who will conduct
our chorus. Maestro Crafton Beck was unavailable for
this concert because of a scheduling conflict.
“It’s such a privilege for me to be here as your guest
conductor at this glorious and blessed time of year,”
says Maestro Tomaro. “Maestros Beck and Munson
have created a wonderful program that is sure to put
your whole family in the holiday spirit. On behalf
of the musicians and singers of your community who
look forward to performing for you, please accept our
warmest wishes for a joyous holiday season.”
“Christmas Memories” featuring Shannon O’Neill and the LSO
Dear Friends,
As the annual Bells, Brass and Bows Christmas concert draws near,
The Lima Symphony Orchestra and I wait with anticipation for the release
of our CD, “Christmas Memories.” What began as a fun and perhaps farfetched idea one year ago has now resulted in an exciting finished product,
one that we bring to our community with great pride.
“Christmas Memories” showcases traditional holiday music that we
all love, but don’t hear enough of on the radio. For me personally, each
song on our CD holds special meaning. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
stands out as my favorite track because in 2009, I had a life-changing
experience studying abroad and interning in Dublin, Ireland. After the
Thanksgiving holiday passed me by (the Irish people are wonderfully
accommodating, but nothing compares to Grandma’s stuffing!), I began
feeling incredibly homesick and disconnected from all things familiar.
When I heard “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” playing in Dublin’s City
Centre, the lyrics seemed to take on a whole a new meaning. I couldn’t wait
for my return home, and I knew that I would never again take for granted
the one thing that I was longing for in that moment: family togetherness.
I hope that you, too, are reminded of your favorite “Christmas Memories”
as you listen to our CD and enjoy its message for years to come.
Other favorite songs include “Drummer Boy” and “First Noel,” for
their simplicity and the beauty of their arrangements. I also thoroughly
enjoy the ballad “Home Alone,” where you’ll hear a unique combination
of an acoustic guitar solo by Tim Townsend with the orchestra. You might
also find occasional, jazzy vocals throughout our CD, as I carry this
performance style with me wherever I go. I humbly believe jazz to be
my forte.
As a young woman of twenty-two, I will forever cherish this once-ina-lifetime opportunity to collaborate with the Symphony on such great
scale. I consider myself blessed,
this Christmas and always, to be
a part of the Lima Symphony
Orchestra family.
Warmest Regards,
Shannon O’Neill
Shannon O’Neill
will be our guest vocalist at
Bells, Brass and Bows on
December 10th.
Board of Directors
Steve Johnson
President
John Leahy
Vice President
Evans Pseekos
Treasurer
Barbara Young
Secretary
Allen Ammons
Pam Ayers
Neil Darr
Keith Davis
Linda Dorley
RoseMaire Duffy
Anne Gideon
Jim Gideon
Judy Gilbert
Beverly Hawk
Kevin Hawley
Ken Jackson
Tom Martin
Alan Mikesell
Karen Miller
Jane Moheyer
Kurt Neeper
Rob Nelson
Roger Nimps
Phil Osmon
Karel Oxley
Clyde Rauch
Stacey Reineke
Ken Scott
Kim Shanahan
Tami Stanford
David L.Stein
Nancy Stroh
U. William Walter
Marleen Wehri
Donald Witter
Orchestra Representatives
Erin Grim
David Stein
Friends of the Symphony
President
Elizabeth Brown
Staff
Crafton Beck
Artistic Director/Conductor
Marie Drum
Executive Director
Mark Munson
Director’s Notes...
Our season has started with two fabulous concerts. These concerts are made
possible through the support of our underwriters. Virginia Crouse and Karen and
Ron Miller deserve our thanks for underwriting the October concert along with Dr.
Jim and Chris O’Neill who sponsored guest artist Paul Barnes. In November, our
underwriters were HCF Corp: Roselawn Manor, Lima Manor, Shawnee Manor,
Wapakoneta Manor and Burton’s Ridge Assisted Living along with Tuttle
Construction and Touchstone CPM. The AR- HALE Family Foundation
sponsors our chorus. These community-minded individuals and corporations deserve
our heartfelt appreciation for making our concerts possible.
At this time of the year as we prepare for the excitement of the holidays and two concerts in December we
can’t forget that it is also the end of the fiscal tax year. Contributing to the LSO Annual Fund is a rewarding endof-the year-tradition that directly connects you to the LSO’s astounding production of classical, pops and chamber
concerts, family and educational programs as well as extensive outreach activities. You can directly bring the joy of
music to thousands of people through your gift. Gifts can be made in memory or honor of an individual, living
or deceased, or to commemorate a special occasion or holiday. Because we are a 501(c) 3, these gifts are fully tax
deductible.
You can also make a tax-deductible gift to the LSO endowment fund as a current or planned future gift. The
LSO Endowment Fund is vital to ensuring the long-term sustainablity of our orchestra. The simplest and most
common way is through a charitable bequest. It can be a specific dollar amount or a percentage of the remaining
estate after other bequests have been made. The LSO can be listed as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy.
Other methods include charitable gift annuities, charitable lead trusts, and charitable remainder trusts. Individuals
or couples who choose to make a planned gift to our endowment are recognized by membership in the Lima
Symphony Orchestra Virtuoso Society and are listed on a special page in our program book. If you wish to learn
more about opportunities to make a gift to our orchestra, please contact our office at 419-222-5701.
Executive Director
Friends of the symphony - pre-concert dinner
Join the Friends of the Symphony before our Bells, Brass and
Bows concert for a sumptuous traditional holiday dinner. Our
festive evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the City Club with hors
d’oeuvres and a cash bar, along with the perfect music to get you
in a holiday mood.
Chefs Brian Keegan and Alisa McPheron will prepare a
delicious four-course dinner, featuring:
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Lima Symphony Chorus Director
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Youth Orchestra Co-Conductor
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Youth Orchestra Co-Conductor
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Erin Grim
Rachel Lewis
Deb West
Office Manager
Richard Riggs
Development Director
Anita Sims Skinner
Personnel Manager/Librarian
Elizabeth Brown
Director of Marketing
Patsy Stein
Ticket Manager/Bookkeeper
Nancy Hoerner
Volunteer
Steve Gilbert
Volunteer
Crab tartlet with Remoulade
Tomato basil bruschetta with pesto genovese and shaved
parmesan
Salad of mixed greens, marinated asparagus, cherry
tomato and English cucumber with dijon vinaigrette
Medallions of beef tenderloin with merlot reduction and
mixed mushrooms
Potatoes Romanov
Haricots Vert
Berry-Rum trifle
(Vegetarian options available upon request with
reservation)
Guest vocalist and Lima native Shannon O’Neill will make a
special appearance and set the tone for a truly extraordinary night.
Tickets: $50 per person
Please call the Symphony office to make your reservations.
New Year’s Eve with Simply Sinatra and Steve Lippia: Simply the Best
Celebrate New Year’s Eve this year by
taking a step back in time to some of the
best American music ever written with the
swinging sounds of Frank Sinatra.
Las Vegas headliner and famed Sinatra
interpreter Steve Lippia will join our orchestra
on New Year’s Eve with Simply Sinatra,
delivering signature songs like “Fly Me to the
Moon,” “New York, New York,” “I’ve Got You
Under My Skin” and “My Way.”
Previous conductors have said that “from
the moment [Mr. Lippia] walks on stage, you’re
captivated . . . great talent, huge energy – it’s a
fun walk down music memory lane.”
Besides his exquisite phrasing, one of the
reasons Mr. Lippia is able to hold so true to the
original Sinatra songs is that he often works from
the original charts. Sinatra’s music director and
conductor from 1978 to 1983, Vincent Falcone, heard
Mr. Lippia perform early in his career, and is reputed
to have said “That’s the old man.” Mr. Falcone
was so impressed that he joined forces with Mr.
Lippia for his first headlining jig in Las Vegas and
even lent Mr. Lippia the original Sinatra musical
arrangements.
Since moving to Las Vegas fulltime, Mr.
Lippia normally performs more than 100 dates a
year with his own band and backed by some of
the country’s best orchestras.
He’ll bring his distinctive style to our own
Lima Symphony Orchestra on New Year’s Eve
in a show that honors the music and the style of
a true legend.
Thank you to everyone who made our Fourth Annual Wine
Tasting such a tremendous success. Drew and Maria Sanko
graciously opened their home to almost 115 party-goers who
enjoyed more than 20 fine wines and a handful of beers, all
coordinated by Vino Bellissimo. Our profound thanks to cochairs Jim and Anne Gideon, chefs Brian Keegan and Alisa
McPheron, Burgundy’s Italian Grille, Lulu’s Diner and Milano
Café, all of our committee members and our donors for making
this such a night to remember!
* Read about previous auction winners Mary Trueblood,
Maria Sanko, Dr. Praveen Malhotra, Dr. James O’Neill and
Matthew Kreigel in Don Brun’s new novel, Too Much Stuff.
Thank you all for your support!
Photos Courtesy of Michael Ayers
Music Education
The LSO delighted more than 3,500 area
school children at our free Young People’s
Concerts in November
Photo Courtesy of The Lima News
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Lima, Ohio
Permit #106
133 N. Elizabeth Street
P.O. Box 1651
Lima, Ohio 45802
Tel: 419 222 5701
Fax: 419 222 6587
Visit us on the web at www.limasymphony.com.
Tickets to any of our concerts make wonderful gifts for the holiday season.
Make it a family experience and build a lifetime of memories.
For additional information visit our website www.limasymphony.com, or call our office (419) 222-5701.
Our website features reviews, concert information, program notes and guest artist biographies. Check us out on Facebook as well.
WINTER TICKET OFFER
3-Ticket Package just $49 per person