Image for Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
sat. April 13, 2024 at 8pm
About the Show

PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY OF ORANGE COUNTY
AND IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE PRESENT

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 8pm

Artist Sponsor
William and Janice Parker Family Fund

Eclectic Orange Series sponsored by:
Jelinek Family Trust

Peter Brooke Turner: soprano ukulele
Guy Bellingham: tenor ukulele
Ben Rouse: tenor ukulele
Guy Hargreaves: concert ukulele
Leisa Rea: soprano ukulele
Laura Currie: concert ukulele
Laurie Higgins: bass ukulele

The program will be announced from the stage.
There will be a 20-minute intermission.

Musical Director: George Hinchliffe
Creative Producer: Leisa Rea
Tour Management: Viola Farrington
Sound: Verena Rogler

Part of Distinctive Experiences co-presented with Irvine Barclay Theatre


All dates, times, artists, programs and prices are subject to change. Photographing or recording this performance without permission is prohibited.

Kindly disable pagers, cellular phones and other audible devices.

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

A celebrated musical juggernaut for four decades, thrilling audiences from Tasmania in the South Pacific to Svalbard in the Arctic Circle, Windsor Castle to Carnegie Hall, the all-singing, all-plucking Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain continues to break the mold with a program of new tunes as well as old classics.

A concert by the Ukulele Orchestra is an unforgettable experience. A witty, quirky, irreverent, joyful, foot-stomping obituary of rock & roll and melodious light entertainment, all played on the “bonsai guitar.” Add to this a menagerie of voices, eccentric humor and a fusion of post-punk energy meets afternoon tea, and a wonderful night of entertainment is guaranteed.

There are no pianos, backing tracks or banjos, no pitch shifters or electronic trickery. Only an astonishing revelation of the rich palette of orchestration afforded by different sized ukuleles, vocal harmonies, and a bit of whistling. Prepare yourselves for a roller coaster ride through every musical genre. From Abba to ZZ Top, Tchaikovsky to Nirvana, whether its Soul, Funk, Classical, Country, Pop, Rock, Punk or Folk, in the hands of the Ukulele Orchestra, musical alchemy unites and transports the audience.

So in demand, they find themselves perpetually “on a world tour with hand luggage only,” The Ukulele Orchestra are delighted to be back in the U.S. once again with our friends across the pond. Buckle up.

History of Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, that’s the one founded by George Hinchliffe and Kitty Lux, has already enjoyed touring in the United States many times. For those who have not yet encountered it, the essential point is that it is an original musical ensemble featuring only ukuleles of various sizes and registers, accompanied by just the natural voices of the performers.

Harsher critics have stated the opinion that the Ukulele Orchestra formed their repertoire based on any music considered inappropriate for the instrument, with a “shopping trolley dash through genres” and musical history. In Europe and America the Orchestra are best known for playing versions of famous rock songs and film themes, sometimes changing these so that the expectations of the audience are subverted. Sometimes a rock song will be changed into a jazz idiom, or sometimes several songs which are known from different genres are combined in one “soup of contrasts.”

The founding brief for the group was to have fun and “not to lose money.” Incredibly, throughout its thirty year career, the group has succeeded in both not losing money AND incidentally making millions of dollars. It has been seen worldwide by audiences including members of the British Royal Family and other crowned heads of Europe, at the Houses of Parliament in London, and by many millions of television and online viewers. In one territory, the Orchestra has played to audiences which comprise sixty percent of the population!

When The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain began in 1985, the public opinion was that an orchestra consisting entirely of ukuleles in different sizes was a strange concept. This was something that attracted the founders. The Orchestra members at that time had experience of many kinds of music and yet had become tired of the conventions of the music business world as well as the conventions of performance and genre stereotyping which were prevalent at that time. The idea was to make something fresh and entertaining, both modern and old-fashioned, in a different style which deviated from the current performance fashion. People liked the result.

Today, after many years, the Orchestra finds that wherever they go, people are now playing ukuleles, often in groups. Many of these enthusiasts tell the Orchestra that they were inspired to play the instrument after seeing and hearing this, the original Ukulele Orchestra. And now there are many ukulele orchestras, some acknowledging the pioneering work of the UOGB, others claiming ignorance of this rich history, but none of them existing before this, the original Ukulele Orchestra.

In 2015 The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain celebrated sixteen million minutes of “ukuleleation,” having been “on the road” for thirty years and counting.

While it is not normally in the nature of these artists from Britain to “blow their own trumpets,” or in this case to “pluck their own ukuleles,” it is undeniably a fact that The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain has become not only a national institution, but also a worldwide phenomenon.

Among their many international concerts and festival appearances, they have “Sold Right Out” twice at Carnegie Hall in New York, twice at The Royal Albert Hall in London, and also at Sydney Opera House in Australia.

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain has been featured in a CNN report in 2012 and featured on CBS This Morning in 2013. The Orchestra has been invited by the British Broadcasting Corporation to play live on air for BBC Radio 3 (the classical music channel) as well as for BBC Radio 1 (the rock, Electronic Dance Music and youth music channel) and live on other BBC channels many times. They have taken part in The Electric Proms (in a collaboration with The Kaiser Chiefs), and the BBC Promenade Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London (The Proms), where they were the “fastest selling late night prom in history,” selling many thousands of tickets for the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London very quickly.

At this concert the Ukulele Orchestra performed Jerusalem and other classics of the Last Night of the Proms, the celebrated 120 year old concert series which launched in 1895. Around 2,000 ukulele players in the audience joined the Orchestra in playing passages from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. A DVD of this 2010 BBC Prom concert at The Royal Albert Hall is available to order from the website, www.ukuleleorchestra.com. For those who wish to perform with the Orchestra in the comfort of their own homes, chords and words to accompany the Ukes during their 2012 Sydney Opera House concert are available on this DVD.

The Orchestra has recorded and released records, CDs and DVDs on its own independent label and with CBS, Sony, Discethnique, Longman, Volume, Tachyon and The Ministry of Sound, as well as appearing on Jools Holland’s Hootenany.

Original compositions and songs by the Orchestra have been used on television on film, and in radio plays, as well as in performance by other musicians. They have collaborated with the British Film Institute in providing music for silent films and also musically with Madness, Robbie Williams, Ant & Dec, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Stefan Raab, Rainer Hersch and a full symphony orchestra performing at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Beatle George Harrison was a well known fan who established contact and played with the orchestra.

In addition to performing at theaters and concert halls, the orchestra has also packed the crowds in at rock festivals such as Glastonbury, The Big Chill, WOMAD, The Electric Picnic, and before 170,000 people in Hyde Park, as well as playing in seven cathedrals in England and Wales. The group has been commissioned to write commemorative concerts, eg. The Cecil Sharp 100 Year Memorial Concert in 2012 and The 100 Year World War One Memorial Concert in 2014 for Birmingham Town Hall.

One unique feature of this, the original Ukulele Orchestra, is that although there are many examples of collaboration, they have remained a determinedly independent concern. Relying on their own resources and an email list of tens of thousands they continue to run their own recording, publishing and to eschew mainstream advertising and record companies.

Celebrity fans include Sir Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Monty Python’s Michael Palin, Brian Eno, Amanda Palmer, Neil Gaiman, George Benson, Joe Brown and Bette Midler.

The orchestra has many catch phrases which audiences find entertaining. “A world tour with only hand luggage,” for example, referring to the fact that ukuleles are small instruments. Every concert from the first to the present day, has begun with the announcement: “Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, we ARE the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.” For English speakers, the stress on the word “Are” is a little amusing, suggesting as it does that the orchestra is politely explaining to someone who perhaps thought that a different group was on stage, and that in order to clear up any confusion, they are confirming that they truly are the members of the orchestra.

A typical ukulele orchestra concert will feature songs sung by each member of the orchestra so that the audience can get to know each person on stage. Often a fast piece will be followed by a slow piece in order to maintain variety, and a rock song will perhaps be followed by classical music. The concept is that if a “level field” is maintained by playing only the one kind of instrument, then all kinds of music can be played quite easily without the variety appearing to be chaotic. One important task of any musical group is maintain unity with variety, integrity with difference, many voices all working in the same direction. This orchestra is made up of performers who are different from each other, and with very different musical backgrounds, experiences and performing styles. The ukulele brings them all together. Mr. Hinchliffe says that the work of the orchestra is like a pencil line drawing rather than a multi-colored painting. The palate is limited but the possibilities are endless. The ukulele in the hands of the orchestra is said to be like an iceberg; visible above the water, but with much more hidden beneath; there are spiritual dimensions which are far larger and which are not immediately seen. Within the limitations and the simplicity of the humble starting point of the orchestra, there are many possibilities for exploration and variation. It may be the case that the very nature of limitation (in this case to the sounds of the ukulele) enables wider variations to be pursued (which might seem too extreme in a less limited context). Perhaps the limitation stimulates freedom within a defined context. Too much variety could be confusing, too many limitations could become tiresomely familiar. With their combination of “unity and variety, and simultaneous individualism and collectivism” the orchestra is able to make the best of the over-riding vision as well as the individual talents and personalities in the orchestra.

Because the music is played on only ukuleles in different sizes, the conventions of any given genre might not be present. Sometimes the music sounds like folk music, sometimes, like a music without a tradition. The sounds of the instruments are not typical for most of the music played.

The arrangements of the music are specially made, often by the Director and Founder, George Hinchliffe, or by other members of the group. The focus is to bring out the spirit of the music, to be faithful to the musical notes, while actually changing the style or genre of the music by the mere fact of playing it on ukuleles. Audiences have reported that the music of the orchestra is variously, moving, funny, stomping, thought provoking, surprising, or inducing the audience by sheer infectious spirit to “tap their toes” along with the beat.

Fun facts:

The orchestra was asked to provide music for broadcasts about the World Cup.

The orchestra has played WOMAD festivals in two continents and in two different centuries.

The orchestra has performed many times at London’s 100 Club, joining the venue’s history with The Sex Pistols, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holliday, Glen Miller, BB King, Muddy Waters, The Who, The Kinks, Metallica and The Rolling Stones.

The orchestra maintains its independence, in relation to record companies, management, publishing and touring and has its own CDs, DVDs, mailing list of tens of thousands, YouTube channel etc.

The orchestra has been a crossword clue in the New Musical Express, the newspaper which was for many years the key publication for popular music in the UK.

In addition to performing at Carnegie Hall in New York on more than one occasion, the orchestra has performed at The Carnegie Hall in Shetland, the islands midway between Scotland and Norway.

The orchestra has performed in the arctic, at the Polar Jazz Festival in Svalbard, but also in Tasmania, North and South Islands of New Zealand, and on both the east and west coasts of Australia.

Artist Biographies

Peter Brooke Turner (Soprano Ukulele)

Born in Portugal and growing up in the Soviet Union, Brazil, America, Finland, Italy and Britain, Peter dominates the skyline at over 2 metres tall. After false starts on the violin, trumpet and guitar, he turned to the ukulele and joined the Orchestra. Peter has worked with many showbiz greats, even lending his uke to Tiny Tim. Away from the tuxedo, Peter has an alter ego, ‘Tony Penultimate’, whose musical shenanigans and albums have a website all of their own.

Guy Bellingham (Tenor Ukulele)

Guy is a multi-skilled performer and veteran of the circus and cabaret scene. He trained at Circomedia in juggling, clowning and physical comedy and has performed internationally on stage, on television and in variety for twenty-five years. He was a founding member of legendary comedy jazz band ‘The Hot Potato Syncopators’. Guy is also a multi award winning tintype photographer and musical saw virtuoso. 

Ben Rouse (Tenor Ukulele)

Ben is a multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, mandolin, violin, saxophone, flute, trumpet, banjo and ukulele. His background as an all-rounder led him to form the rock band ‘Purple Monkey’ and the folk duo ‘Teapot Junkies’. Ben has also released several albums of his own original music. Born in Cornwall, he now lives near Chichester, where he enjoys sailing, electronics and astronomy. But not all at once.

Guy Hargreaves (Concert Ukulele)

Guy is a seasoned performer and theatre maker from Lancashire with a background in acting, dance, clown, puppetry and music. He has directed shows for The National Youth Theatre and made short films about friendly ghosts for his local Carnegie library. He’s appeared in iconic British television programmes, such as ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘East Enders’ as well as penning his own solo show about letter writing, ballet dancing and growing up. Guy is a keen artist and hill climber. Sometimes he combines the two. 

Leisa Rea (Soprano Ukulele)

Leisa has a rich background in performing, directing and writing for stage, television, and radio, working with several established names including Miranda Hart (BBC) Jack Rooke (Channel 4), and Live at the Apollo comic, Jen Brister. She’s produced her own solo shows and written many original songs for ‘Adams & Rea’, with whom she won the Musical Comedy Awards (2009). Leisa has Irish-Italian heritage, plays uke, guitar and percussion and lives in London.

Laura Currie (Concert Ukulele)

Laura was born in Dumfries, Scotland and joined the Orchestra shortly after graduating from Edinburgh University in English Literature. She started playing the ukulele at the age of fifteen after seeing the Ukes in concert and, inspired, fronted her first rock band a year later. Away from the Orchestra, Laura performs under the stage name Ra, writing and releasing her own original material. She has garnered an active online following for her eclectic mix of self-produced YouTube videos. She also plays piano, bass and guitar.

Laurie Higgins (Bass Ukulele)

Laurie is a professional bass player from Dorset, who has many years’ experience playing and recording with a huge variety of artists including Robbie McIntosh, Mutter Slater and Steve Jones. Having studied jazz and composition, he is busily involved in writing and arranging music as well as in music education. Laurie has provided his signature sound on tour with the Orchestra in the UK, Germany, Austria, Sweden and, now, the USA.

PSOC DONORS

The Philharmonic Society of Orange County gratefully acknowledges the following donors for their generous support of the Fund for Music during the past twelve months. These contributions make up the difference between the income generated from ticket sales and the actual cost of bringing the world’s finest orchestras, soloists and chamber ensembles to Orange County and inspiring 160,000 K-12 students each year with quality music programs. Gifts range from $70 to more than $100,000, and each member of the Philharmonic Society plays a valuable role in furthering the mission of this organization.

 

YOUTH MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAM SPONSORS

Bluebird Legacy Inc.

The Crean Foundation

Chapman University

The Davisson Family Fund for Youth Music Education

The William Gillespie Foundation

Hearst Foundation

Thomas J. Madracki Memorial Endowment

Orange County Community Foundation

Pacific Life Foundation

U.S. Bank

Anonymous

 

SERIES SPONSORS

Donna L. Kendall Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. Howard Jelinek/Jelinek Family Trust, Eclectic Orange Series

Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation

 

PHILHARMONIC CIRCLE ($100,000+)

The Committees of the Philharmonic Society

Donna L. Kendall and the Donna L. Kendall Foundation

Dr. Howard Jelinek/Jelinek Family Trust

Philharmonic Foundation

Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation

The Segerstrom Foundation

 

 MAESTRO CIRCLE ($50,000+)

Colburn Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Kohl

Mr. and Mrs. William F. Podlich

Gail and Robert Sebring

Ms. Dea Stanuszek

 

CHAIRMAN'S CIRCLE ($25,000+)

Bluebird Legacy, Inc.

The Crean Foundation

Valerie and Hans Imhof

The Isidore and Penny Myers Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Smith

Al Spector and Tatjana Soli

U.S. Bank

     Mr. Stephen Amendt

 

PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE ($10,000+)

Sabra and Peter Bordas

Mr. James J. Brophy

City of Laguna Beach

Marjorie and Roger Davisson

The Dirk Family

Sam B. and Lyndie Ersan

Karen and Don Evarts

Hung Fan and Michael Feldman

Mrs. Jean Felder

Mrs. Joanne C. Fernbach

Mr. John D. Flemming and Mr. Mark Powell

Margaret M. Gates - in memory of family

Mr. Richard A. Goodman

Ms. Joan Halvajian

Maralou Harrington

Milli Hill

Carole Innes-Owens

Gary and Betsy Jenkins

Helen and Fritz Lin

Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons

Cheryl Hill Oakes

Lauren and Richard Packard

Mr. Patrick Paddon

Richard and Deborah Polonsky

Ellen and Vasily I. Semeniuta

Dr. Bob and Mao Shillman

Steven M. Sorenson MD and J. Eric Shay

Richard and Elizabeth Steele Endowment Fund

Waters Edge Winery

Gayle Widyolar

 

PLATINUM BATON ($6,000+)

Dr. Richard D. and France Campbell

Suzanne and David Chonette

Frome Family Foundation

Marcia Kay and Ron Radelet

Mr. and Mrs. James G.Reynolds

Barbara Roberts

Diane and Michael Stephens

Edward and Anna Yeung

 

GOLDEN BATON ($3,000+)

Mr. and Mrs. James Alexiou

Diane and John ChimoArnold

John W. Benecke and Lee Marino

Mr. Gary Capata

Carl and Kathy Greenwood

Jane and Joe Hanauer

Stephanie and Don Harrell

Ellen Pickler Harris and Ron Harris

Elizabeth Evans Henry

Ms. Elizabeth Jones

Vicki and Richard Lee

Marshall Fund for Dramatic

   Arts and Classical Music

Marlene and Chris Nielsen

Tommy and Julie Phillips

Christopher Quilter

Mr. and Mrs. Philip E. Ridout

Ms. Harriet Roop

Samueli Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. David Seigle

Dr. Emmanuel Sharef

Dr. and Mrs. Henry Sobel

Ms. Barbara Tanner

The William Gillespie Foundation

 

SILVER BATON ($1,200+)

Dr. and Mrs. Daniel L. Abbott

Nancy Arnold

David and Frances Nitta Barnes

Ms. Michelle Brenner

Mr. James Carter

Dr. and Mrs. David Casey

Dr. and Mrs. Shigeru Chino

Mr. and Mrs. Stewart A. Clark

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Clemmer

Crevier Family Foundation

Susan and Kevin Daly

Eve and Timothy Donovan

Dr. Harvey Eisenberg

Deborah and Cody Engle

Dr. and Mrs. Sidney A. Field

Petrina Friede

David Gartley

Dr. Anna Gonosova

Mr. and Mrs. Michael S.Gordon

Teresa Gordon

Barbara Hamkalo

Dr. Daniel E. Haspert  and Mr. Gerard Curtin

Barbara and Don Howland

Anne Johnson

Dr. Nancy L. Kidder

LaDonna Kienitz

Dr. and Mrs. Tae S. Kim

Cathy and David Krinsky

Hank and Bonnie Landsberg

Janet Laurin

Mrs. Barbara Macgillivray

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Malcolm

Mrs. Linda LipmanMandelbaum

Karen McCulley

Danny and Kristy Melita

Patricia Morgan

Elizabeth Morse

Richard and Dot Nelson

Elaine and Carl Neuss

Leslie and Gus Ordonez

Michael and Meili Pinto

Susan Qaqundah

Les Redpath

Mr. and Mrs. Glen L. Reeves

Leona Aronoff-Sadacca

Deborah and Robert Schlesinger                 

Eva and Fred Schneider

Dr. Ellis Schwied

Igal and Diane Silber

Walter and Masami Stahr

Dr. Daniel and Jeule Stein

Edith Tonkon

Ms. Sally Westrom

 

CONCERTO ($600+)

Janet Lee Aengst

Richard Alexander

Beard Family Foundation

Lauren and Cor Claus

David and Victoria Collins

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Delman

Michael DeVries

Walter C. Fidler

Dr. and Mrs. Glenn Fowler

Mr. and Mrs. Donald French

Dr. and Mrs. Mark W. Gow

Terry Hanna

Grace Holdaway

Kevin Huoh

Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Ivey

Mr. Greg Kwan

Katsuhiko and Meiko Maeshige

Dr. Lani and Mr. David Martin

Mater Dei High School

Kelly and Susan McClellan

Mrs. Janine McMillion

Mrs. Gordon Niedringhaus

Mr. Keith Polakoff

Mr. and Mrs. John Prange

Deborah and Tom Rapport

Karyn Rashoff

Mrs. Vicki de Reynal

Suzanne Sandmeyer and Wes Hatfield

Carol Schwab

Ms. Barbara Sentell

Arkady and Ella Serebryannik

Mr. John Shaak

Ann D. Stephens

John and Mary Karyl Thorne

Dr. and Mrs. Harvey S.Triebwasser

Edith and Thomas Van Huss

Kathryn and David Wopschall

 

SONATA ($300+)

Brien Amspoker and Ellen Breitman

Dr. Lori Bassman and Mr. Harley C. Bassman

Tod and Craig Beckett-Frank

Mr. and Mrs. Tony Bedi

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Boice

Mr. Scott Brinkerhoff

Evelyn Brownstone

Mr. and Mrs. Tyke Camaras

Ross Conner and Emmett Carlson

Mr. and Mrs. Gustave S.Chabre

Mary E. Chelius

Mr. Randall K. Chun

Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Compton

Peter Conlon and Deborah Shaw

Mr. Anthony Ede and Mrs. Louise Upham

Resa Evans and Dave Theil

Joan Fang

Reuben H. Fleet Foundation Fund

Cheryl Garland

Marvin Goecks, Jr.

Dr. Alan L. Goldin

Howard and Carol Hay

Marlene Hewitt

Mr. and Mrs. Dan Horgan

John and Julia Houten

Mr. Paul A. Schmidhauser and Ms. Cindy R. Hughes

Ms. Kathryn Hummel

Stanley and Mary W. Johnson Foundation

Ms. Sumie Jossi

Mr. and Mrs. Eric M. Kadison

Kari Kerr

Dr. and Mrs. William P. Klein

Elliott Kornhauser and Joe Baker

Kent and Ami Kreutziger

Mr. and Mrs. Edward S. Kriz

Bruce Larson and Dinny Beringer

Dr. and Mrs. Gary C. Lawrence

Yueshii Lee

Sijie Ling

Elsie M. Little

Francis McClain and Sandra Campbell-McClain

Mr. H.W. McKee

Lisa Miller

Chris Reed and Pat O'Brien

Dr. Kevin O'Grady and

    Mrs. Nella Webster O'Grady

Mary and Lee Olsen

Mr. Richard Parslow

Sidney and Nancy Petersen

Mr. Craig Poindexter

Robbie and Steve Prepas

Lucinda Prewitt

Coralie Prince

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Rose

Herbert and Joyce Rosenblum

Deborah and Frank Rugani

Mrs. Kathleen Sangster

Ms. Suzanne Schaumburg

Pamela Sefton

Dr. James Shelburne

Nick and Donna Shubin

Mrs. Karen Smith

Mr. and Mrs. John Stevens

Diane Stovall

Dr. Agnes Szekere

Mary and Peter Tennyson

Ms. Carole Uhlaner and Mr. D Brownstone

Annabel Wang

Mike Tompkins and Lynn Weiser

Dr. and Mrs. Fritz C.Westerhout

Ivy Yan

 

HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS

Frieda Belinfante, in memoriam

Jane K. Grier, in memoriam

John M. Rau

 

OFFICIAL WINE SPONSOR
Waters Edge Winery, Long Beach

List current as of 1/29/2024

 

The Philharmonic Society deeply appreciates the support of its sponsors and donors, and makes every effort to ensure accurate and appropriate recognition. Contact the Development Department at (949) 553-2422, ext. 233, to make us aware of any error or omission in the foregoing list.

 

ESTERHAZY PATRONS

The Philharmonic Society is proud to recognize our dedicated patrons who have made a multi-year Esterhazy Patron pledge. We are grateful for their support, which has been largely responsible for enabling us to present the world’s most acclaimed symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists.

 

Mr. and Mrs. James Alexiou

Mr. and Mrs. Darrel Anderson

A. Gary Anderson Family Foundation

Mr. Gary N. Babick

Ms. Tricia Babick

Mrs. Linda Beimfohr

Mr. and Mrs. John Carson

Cheng Family Foundation

Mrs. William P. Conlin

Mr. Warren G. Coy

Marjorie and Roger Davisson

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Delman

The Dirk Family

Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Duma

Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Emery

Catherine Emmi

Lyndie Ersan

Mr. and Mrs. Howard Freedland

Margaret M. Gates—In memory of family

Mr. Milton S. Grier, Jr.

Maralou Harrington

Dr. Howard J. Jelinek

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Chapin  Johnson

Dr. Siret Jurison

Donna L. Kendall Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Venelin Khristov

Mr. and Mrs. Roger Kirwan

Capt. Steve Lutz and Shala Shashani Lutz

Professor Robert and

   Dr. Adeline Yen Mah

Mrs. Sharon McNalley

Dr. Vahe Meghrouni

Mrs. Michael D. Nadler

Elaine and Carl Neuss

Mr. Thomas Nielsen

Milena and Milan Panic

Helen Reinsch

Barbara Roberts

Mrs. Michelle Rohé

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen L. Salyer

Elizabeth Segerstrom

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Smith

Mrs. Elaine Weinberg

Mr. and Mrs. George Wentworth

Bobbitt and Bill Williams

Anonymous

 

LEGACY CIRCLE MEMBERS

Mr. and Mrs. James Alexiou

Dr. and Mrs. Julio Aljure

Diane and John Chimo Arnold

Estate of Edra E. Brophy*

Mr. James J. Brophy

Mr. Douglas T. Burch, Jr.*

Mr. William P. Conlin* and

   Mrs. Laila Conlin

Pamela Courtial*

Mr. Warren G. Coy

Richard Cullen and Robert Finnerty

Mr. Ben Dolson*

Camille and Eric Durand Trust*

Karen and Don Evarts

Erika E. Faust*

James and Judy Freimuth

Ms. Carol Frobish*

The William Gillespie Foundation*

Mr. and Mrs.* Milton S. Grier, Jr.

Mr. Edward Halvajian*

Ms. Joan Halvajian

Ms. Marie Hiebsch*

Mildred and James* Hill

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Hull*

Mr. Leonard Jaffe

Judith* and Howard Jelinek

Dr. Burton L. Karson

Donna L. Kendall

Hank and Bonnie Landsberg

Mrs. Carla Liggett

Dr. William Lycette

Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Michel

Mr. and Mrs. Bart Morrow

Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Nadler*

Eva Cebulski Olivier

Mrs. Frank M. Posch*

Marcia Kay Radelet

Marjorie Rawlins*

Mrs. Ladislaw Reday*

Elaine M. Redfield*

Mr. Richard M. Reinsch*

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen L. Salyer

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sebring

Mr. H. Russell Smith*

Al Spector and Tatjana Soli

Ms. Dea Stanuszek

Diane and Michael Stephens

Vas Nunes Family Trust*

Betty M. Williams*

Anonymous

*Deceased

 

Bold type indicates gifts of $50,000 or more.

 

Please call the Philharmonic Society Development Department if you have included either the Philharmonic Society or the separate Philharmonic Foundation in your will or trust so that we may honor you as a member of the Legacy Circle. For more information, call (949) 553-2422, ext. 202 or visit: www.PhilharmonicSociety.org/SupportUs and click on Planned Giving.

  

DONORS TO THE PHILHARMONIC FORWARD CAMPAIGN

The Philharmonic Society’s campaign is the first of its kind in the organization’s history. It will grow the Society’s endowment—providing greater opportunities for the presentation of the world’s leading orchestras and other musical performances while expanding our educational and community outreach—and also establish a current needs fund for organizational sustainability and flexibility. We are proud to recognize those who are helping secure the Society’s future with a gift to the Philharmonic Forward Campaign. We are grateful for their support, which will help fuel the Society’s growth and provide a legacy of incomparable music and superb music education programs in perpetuity.

 

CO-CHAIRS

Donna L. Kendall and Douglas H. Smith

 

$1,000,000+

Mr. James J. Brophy

Donna L. Kendall  and the Donna L. Kendall Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sebring

Anonymous

 

$500,000+

Richard Cullen and Robert Finnerty

James and Judy Freimuth

 

$250,000+

The Davisson Family Fund

   for Youth Music Education

Margaret M. Gates—In memory of family

Mr. and Mrs.* Milton S.Grier, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Smith

 

$100,000+

Pete and Sabra Bordas

David and Suzanne Chonette

Karen and Don Evarts

Milli and Jim* Hill

Marlene and Chris Nielsen

Richard and Deborah Polonsky

Diane and Michael Stephens

Anonymous

 

$50,000+

Mr. Douglas T. Burch, Jr.*

Dr. Richard D. and  France Campbell

Erika E. Faust*

Mrs. Joanne C. Fernbach

Joan Halvajian

Elaine and Carl Neuss

Marcia Kay Radelet

Mr. and Mrs. Philip E.Ridout

Ms. Dea Stanuszek

Dr. Daniel and Jeule Stein

 

$25,000+

Douglas Burch Classical Programs Fund

Mr. William P. Conlin* and Mrs. Laila Conlin

Mr. and Mrs. Donald French 

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Fuerbringer

Mr. and Mrs. Noel Hamilton

Dr. and Mrs. Chase* Roh

Up to $24,999

Eleanor and Jim* Anderson

John W. Benecke

Mr. and Mrs. Jim Burra

Ana and Ron Dufault

Hung Fan and Michael Feldman

First American Trust Kimberly Dwan Bernatz

Mr. John D. Flemming and Mr. Mark Powell

Duke Funderburke

Carolyn and John Garrett

Karin Easter Gurwell

Maralou and Jerry M.* Harrington

Mrs. Alice E. Hood

Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Committee -  

   Marina Windjammer Group

Kevin and Judith Ivey

Ms. Lula Belle Jenkins

Doris and Jim Kollias

Mrs. Elizabeth C. Kramer

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lewis

Mr. and Mrs. ThomasMadracki

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Mastrangelo

Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Michel

Charles Mosmann

Carl Neisser*

Joan Rehnborg

Dr. and Mrs. Henry Sobel

Dr. and Mrs. Julio Taleisnik

Marti and Walter Unger

Gayle Widyolar, M.D.

Sandi Wright-Cordes

U.S. Bank

Anonymous

 

*Deceased

 

LEAVE A LEGACY

Estate gift s allow our long-time subscribers and donors to leave an enduring legacy that helps ensure the long-term fi nancial strength of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County. Please consider including us in your will, as either a percentage of your

estate or a fi xed amount. Doing so will support our commitment of presenting world-class programming and music education that enriches the cultural life of Orange County for generations to come.

For more information, please contact (949) 553-2422, ext. 233, or email support@philharmonicsociety.org.

PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY OF ORANGE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

PRESIDENT AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Tommy Phillips

ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
Emily Persinko, Artistic Operations Manager
Kathy Smith, Piano Technician

DEVELOPMENT
Mark Saville, Vice President of Development
Halim Kim, Senior Director of Development
Fatima Rizvi-Flores, Individual Giving Manager & Board Liaison
Nicole Gonzales, Special Events Manager
Paige Frank, Development Coordinator

EDUCATION
Katherine Yang, Vice President of Education & Community Engagement
Courtney McKinnon, Manager of Volunteer & Education Services
Jennifer Niedringhaus, Education & Engagement Operations Manager
Chloe Hopper, Education Associate & OCYS Coordinator
Penny Arroyo, Huntington Harbour Office Manager & Finance Coordinator

FINANCE
Roan Alombro, Vice President of Finance
Fay Hu, Finance & HR Associate

MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
Jean Hsu, COO / Vice President of Communications
Daniel Acosta, Director of Marketing
Marie Songco-Torres, Senior Marketing & PR Manager
Adaora Onyebeke, Marketing & PR Associate

PATRON SERVICES
Jonathan Mariott, Director of Patron Services
Angelica Nicolas, Marketing & Patron Services Manager
Randy Polevoi, Musical Concierge

ORANGE COUNTY YOUTH SYMPHONY AND STRING ENSEMBLE
Johannes Müller Stosch, Music Director & OCYS Conductor
Lucy Lu, OCYSE Conductor & OCYS Strings Coach
Danielle Culhane, Operations & Personnel Manager
Hana Kurihara, Operations Assistant

PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY OF ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS
John Flemming, Chair/CEO *  
Donna L. Kendall, Deputy Board Chair *
Sabra Bordas, Vice Chair *  
Stephen Amendt, Secretary/Treasurer *

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John W. Benecke, Development Chair
Sabra Bordas, Nominating and Governance Chair *
Jim Brophy
Lauren Claus
Hung Fan, Laguna Beach Music Festival Chair
Jean Felder, Artistic and Marketing Chair
Margaret M. Gates
Kari Kerr, President, The Committees *
Douglas H. Smith, Member at Large *
Steven M. Sorenson, MD
Kathryn Wopschall
Sandi Wright-Cordes, Orange County Youth Symphony Chair

IN MEMORIAM
Douglas T. Burch, Jr.
Jane Grier
Wesley Kruse

* Executive Committee

Representation

George Hinchliffe’s Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
appears by arrangement with Arts Management Group, Inc.
130 West 57th Street, Suite 6A
New York, NY 10019
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