September 2019 Guild Newsletter

Colorado Springs Philharmonic Guild monthly email newsletter September 2019

From the President

Hope Mena, Board president

It is hard to believe that summer is over. It seems to me it didn’t get started till August and now comes the cool weather. Summer may be gone but your Philharmonic Guild has an exciting line up of fall Programs planned.

We kick off the season with a welcome reception at our home September the 18th at 5:30 pm. The program is entitled “The Music Among Us.” Sandy Tiemans, her husband, Aron Turner, and their daughter Mia, are providing the musical selections. Valet parking will be available.

As you may have heard, the Guild will not have a Winter Dinner this year. The Philharmonic Board is planning a special fundraiser for the Perlman concert in February. The Guild Board felt it was too much to have two big fundraisers so close together. The Guild will be having two smaller fundraisers during the year so as not to compete with the Philharmonic Board’s efforts. It is our hope that all Guild members will join in and support the Perlman fundraiser.

One of the Guild's fundraisers will be held in November. Several of the Guild members, who are also Maestro's Circle members, were privileged to have heard Wiley Skaret play the piano for us when we were in Columbia this April. Wiley’s father, Brian, is a Diplomat with the American Embassy in Columbia. Wiley will be playing in a piano competition in Arizona in November and has agreed to travel to Colorado Springs to put on two private performances, in Guild member homes. He is an extremely talented young man and we are privileged to have him come to Colorado Springs. You will hear more details about this at the September meeting.

The Philharmonic Board has invited a representative from the Guild Board to be a guest member, non-voting, at their board meeting for the 2019-20 season. I will be attending starting September the 20th. The Guild board will be looking at a reciprocal relationship at the September and October Boards meetings.

The Philharmonic Board will also be recognizing the the importance of the Guild and its contribution to the Philharmonic at five different concerts this year. This is a most gracious acknowledgement of the funds the Guild has provided the Philharmonic over the past two years.

I look forward to seeing all members and guests at the September meeting. This year we will continue to vary the times of the programs, the venues, and provide opportunities to listen to many forms of music that represent the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Last year was a great leap forward for the Guild. Let’s keep the tradition going this year by increasing the membership and becoming a true voice for the musical community of Colorado Springs!
Most sincerely,
Hope Mena
Guild Board President

The Philharmonic presents- The Planets.

Buy Tickets. Shows are September 21 and 22.

New Guild Program Season kicks off next week.

The September program will be hosted by our President, Hope Mena, at her and husband Joe's lovely home on Wednesday, September 18 at 5:30 p.m. As always, we are so appreciative of her generosity and ongoing support of the Guild programs. RSVP here for the September program. We continue to offer daytime and evening programs in an effort to accommodate the scheduling needs of the most members.

Join us Wednesday, October 16, 6 to 8 p.m. This is a special performance by Alex Da Costa, Philharmonic visiting guest artist. Da Costa will perform at Harvey House at Catalyst Campus.

November's program: TBA

We will have a holiday party on Tuesday, December 17, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Guild members will convene at The Deco Lounge at the Fine Arts Center. We will enjoy an evening of traditional Christmas music.

Click on the image to the left and meet our new Guild board.

A brief performance

Even though this video is nearly two years old, it gives you a glimpse, not only of the music that you will have the privilege to hear in November, but of the character of this young performer, Wiley Skaret.

Treasurer's Report: August 31, 2019

It's hot outside....but we are thinking
about Nutcrackers and the winter season!

Shocking as it may seem the Guild's Nutcracker Boutique and our Philharmonic's ballet are only two months away. This annual event occurs during the three days following Thanksgiving, which, this year, is the last week of November. This is a major fund raiser for our organization. Last year we had gross receipts of $25,000, a Guild record! With the generosity of you, our Guild members and the families attending the Nutcracker, we were able to put a little more than $15,000 into our donation funds. This year we are adding a new component: the KING'S RAFFLE. Five very specially selected King nutcrackers have been selected and will be offered at each Nutcracker performance. You can purchase raffle tickets ($5 each, or 5 for $20) ahead of time at each guild meeting or by contacting our raffle chair Susan Callahan at smcall217@aol.com. Her phone number is available in your directory.

We ALWAYS need volunteers. If you have already volunteered for us or signed one of the volunteer sheets, rest assured you will be contacted during the month of September to check on your availability. We will be happy to use your friends, neighbors and relatives. It takes about 100 of us to put this event successfully in place. IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO PEOPLE WITH SOME STRENGTH WE NEED HELP MOVING MORE THAN 100 CARTONS FROM STORAGE TO THE EVENT CENTER. Our volunteer coordinator Mary Thacker would love to talk with you. She can be reached at mtthacker5@me.com. Her phone number is available in your directory.

We can't wait for the fun to begin!
Sharon Schneider and Cheryl Schwartz, co-chairs