Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Irvine Barclay Theatre Presents

George Hinchliffe’s
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
Sunday, March 27, 2022 | 3pm 

Eclectic Orange Series sponsored by:

Jelinek Family Trust

This performance will include one 20-minute intermission.

The program will be announced from the stage.

Jonty Bankes
Peter Brooke Turner
Laura Currie
Leisa Rea
Ben Rouse
Dave Suich
Ewan Wardrop

Musical Director: George Hinchliffe
Management: Jodi Cartwright
Sound: Doug Beveridge

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.

The Ukulele Orchestra is a touring musical group which has been delighting audiences, raising the roof, selling out performances, and receiving standing ovations since 1985. This all-singing, all strumming group has been performing for 35 years using only a fistful of ukuleles and maintaining that all genres of music are available for reinterpretation.

The premise sounds astoundingly simple: instruments, voices, no gimmicks, no light show. Yet The New York Times exclaim that "they extract more than seems humanly possible from so small and so modest an instrument” and millions have enthused over the years about the fact that the orchestra tears the house down with a lively, touching, catchy, emotive, stomping show, threaded with humor and wit which inexplicably draws the audience in, to a joyous world beyond the conflicts of musical genres and transcending differences between a serious concert and entertainment.

As soon as the performers walk on stage, the audience feels that they are in safe hands, at home with friends who are totally in command of the art, craft, and magic of the stage. Sitting in chamber group format, and dressed in formal evening wear (regardless of the time of day or the venue, whether Glastonbury Festival or Carnegie Hall), it uses the limitations of the instrument to create a musical freedom as it reveals unsuspected musical insights.

At this point, the audience may well sit back, all prior assumptions forgotten, and allow the orchestra, which has 16-handedly changed the face of the ukulele world, to give what the Independent raved as "the best musical entertainment in the country."

The first gig, intended as a one-off bit of fun was an instant sell out and led to national radio, TV, album recordings, and international tours. Since then the orchestra has become what The Observer called “a much loved institution” giving thousands of concerts, TV, and radio appearances all over the world. There have been tours in Britain, across Europe, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China America, Canada, and the North Pole. They also had the honor to perform, by invitation of The Prince of Wales, at the private 90th birthday party of Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle.

The Ukulele Orchestra have released CDs and DVDs on their own independent label. The orchestra’s music has been used in films, plays, and commercials. The Financial Times praised “The sophisticated sound they make – both percussive and melodic – is at once hilarious and heartfelt”

Jonty Bankes

Jonty was serenaded to sleep as a child by his father playing Bach on the cello, inevitably he learned to appreciate music and knew from an early age that he wanted to be a performer. His formative years were spent playing music and acting. He discovered and fell in love with the bass in 1972.

Moving to London to try an acting career in 1980, he met Dave Suich and acted in his show until the bassist left and he took over; he changed from struggling actor to struggling musician. He supplemented his income as a London double decker bus driver and has since discovered he drove Will to school.

Jonty became a full-time musician in the early 90’s joining the orchestra in 1992 while also recording and touring with Ray Davis, Louisiana Red, Marcus Malone, and John Mayall. He can also be heard whistling on many TV soundtracks and commercials.

He currently lives in Germany and often performs as a guest bassist with various bands. He supported Eric Clapton on the German leg of his 2018 stadium tour.

Peter Brooke-Turner

At over two meters tall, Peter Brooke Turner may well be the tallest ukulele player in the world – he is certainly the tallest in the Ukulele Orchestra. He was born in Portugal and grew up in the Soviet Union, Brazil, America, Finland, and Italy. After false starts on the violin, trumpet and guitar, he finally discovered the ukulele and joined the Ukes in 1995.

He has released three albums under his pseudonym Tony Penultimate and has worked with many well-known showbiz names in the U.K. He has even lent his uke to Tiny Tim. He fronted his own Ukulele Kings rock group in the 90s.

Peter has started the worlds first high altitude drama company – the ATTC (Airline Toilets Theatre Company), which has subsequently produced over twenty high- quality, low budget songs, sketches and shows (all on Peter’s iPhone) from this oft neglected performance area. They can be viewed online.

Laura Currie 

The youngest member of the orchestra, Laura was born in Dumfries, Scotland, and studied English literature at the University of Edinburgh. She started playing the ukulele at the age of 15 after seeing the Ukes in concert, and used the instrument to front her first rock band at 16 years old. She began performing with the Ukes in 2019, and has since toured with them across China, France, and Switzerland.

When not touring with the orchestra, Laura performs under the solo stage name Ra. She writes and releases original songs and covers, and one of her collaborative singles was recently featured in a Netflix show.

Laura has garnered an active online following for her eclectic mix of elaborately self-produced YouTube videos. During the Covid-19 lockdown in the U.K., she used these video editing skills to produce the Ukulele Lockdown series that the Ukes released weekly on YouTube.  Laura also plays piano, bass, and guitar.

Leisa Rea 

Leisa has worked as an actor, director, comedy writer, and teacher. Her professional directorial debut in 1991 of Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant, won the Lloyds Theatre Challenge and was performed at the National Theatre in London.

Since then, she has taught stand-up comedy at the Soho Theatre, directed several smash-hit comedy shows, written and performed two critically acclaimed solo shows, and for some time, was one half of the duo, Adams & Rea, who scooped the Musical Comedy Awards prize in 2009.

Alongside this, Leisa co-created a theater show with Miranda Hart and was one of the writers for the pilot episodes of BAFTA-nominated Miranda on the BBC.

When she is not on tour with the Orchestra, Leisa is a creative consultant for several organizations offering training, workshops, and advice.

She joined the Ukulele Orchestra in 2003 and found it to be the perfect home for her colorful backstory.

Ben Rouse

Ben was born in Cornwall but grew up in Hampshire. At the age of 8, he began playing the drums, turning to the guitar at age 11. At 23, Ben formed the rock band Purple Monkey, which became a popular band along the south coast of England. At 25, he decided to learn the violin and mandolin and formed the folk duo, Teapot Junkies, releasing two albums of original material. He went on to teach himself the saxophone, flute, trumpet, and banjo.

At 30, Ben decided that a proper job might be necessary and earned himself an HND in electronics, but in 2007 was drawn back to music when he saw the Ukulele Orchestra perform on Jools Holland Hootenanny. The next day he bought a ukulele and began performing and teaching workshops at festivals around the U.K. until, in 2014, he was invited to play with the Orchestra. He has since toured America, China, Europe, Scandinavia, and the U.K. with them.

Dave Suich

Dave has worked as a teacher, a drama, and a special needs specialist, and is a Makaton signer. For many years he was a compere at Glastonbury Festival for the Theatre Stage. Dave has been with the Orchestra for 35 years and notes that he has “jammed with a Beatle and performed for a Rolling Stone” as well as discussed gardening with HRH Prince Charles. At the same Chamber Music Chicago Festival at which the Kronos String Quartet played "Purple Haze" in the 80s, Dave introduced the Ukulele Orchestra version of "Born To Be Wild" to the North American audience.

When Dave is not touring with the Orchestra he may be found instead with his bluesy group: The World Wide Whelks, or on his allotment.

Ewan Wardrop 

Ewan started playing the ukulele in 1998 but also plays mandolin, guitar, and the penny whistle. Ewan trained as a ballet dancer and appeared in a record-breaking run of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake on Broadway. He has a long history of working in theater on an international stage and has worked with companies such as the The Royal Shakespeare Company and Kneehigh Theatre. He also has an experimental Morris Dance group called the Bo Diddlers.

PHILHARMONIC FORWARD CAMPAIGN 

The Philharmonic Forward Campaign was introduced prior to the 2015-2016 season with a goal of raising $10 million to bolster the Philharmonic Society’s endowment. Thanks to several transformational gifts and commitments, we surpassed $16 million.

As a reminder, the campaign has three components:

• An endowment for artistic excellence and innovation will support the presentation of the world’s leading

orchestras, classical soloists, and chamber ensembles while also allowing the Society to expand its eclectic

programming, interdisciplinary projects, and new work offerings.

• An endowment for education and community programs will strengthen youth music education and family programs, community engagement, and the Society’s on-campus presence at schools.
• A current needs capital funds program for organizational sustainability will provide working capital to secure the finest artists well in advance of upcoming seasons.

These funds will bolster the Society’s broad mission of supporting the tradition of Western classical music while

allowing us to present diverse music from emerging artists. It will also allow us to expand music education programs for K-12 and college students, creating a new generation of people who value great music.

Campaign leadership has been provided by Co-Chairs Donna Kendall and Douglas Smith, joined by a deeply committed Executive Committee. With their energetic guidance, we are well-positioned to engage the entire Philharmonic family in support of this transformational initiative. For more information, contact Ron Dufault, VP of Development, at (949) 553-2422, ext. 202, or email Ron@PhilharmonicSociety.org.

SECURING THE FUTURE

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.

Donna L. Kendall and Douglas H. Smith
Co-Chairs

DONORS TO THE PHILHARMONIC FORWARD CAMPAIGN

$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. and Mrs. Richard D. 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+

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

Judith and Kevin Ivey

Ms. Lula Belle Jenkins

Doris and Jim Kollias

Mrs. Elizabeth C. Kramer

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lewis

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Madracki

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

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 $60 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

The Crean Foundation

Chapman University

The Davisson Family Fund for Youth Music Education

The William Gillespie Foundation

Thomas J. Madracki Memorial Endowment

Orange County Community Foundation

Pacific Life Foundation

Gail and Robert Sebring

U.S. Bank

Wells Fargo

Anonymous

Season Sponsors

Donna L. Kendall and the Donna L. Kendall Foundation

Anonymous

Judith and Howard Jelinek/Jelinek Family Trust

The Segerstrom Foundation

Series Sponsors

Donna L. Kendall Foundation

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

Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation

Steven M. Sorenson MD and the IBEX Foundation

Philharmonic Circle ($100,000+)

The Committees of the Philharmonic Society

The William Gillespie Foundation

Donna L. Kendall and the Donna L. Kendall Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. Howard Jelinek/Jelinek Family Trust

Philharmonic Foundation

Mr. James J. Brophy

Maestro Circle ($50,000+)

Sam B. and Lyndie Ersan

Mr. and Mrs. William F. Podlich

Gail and Robert Sebring

Ms. Dea Stanuszek

Chairman's Circle ($25,000+)

Colburn Foundation

The Crean Foundation

Mr. John D. Flemming and Mr. Mark Powell

Margaret M. Gates- in memory of family

Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation

Ms. Joan Halvajian

The Isidore and Penny Myers Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Smith

Steven M. Sorenson MD and the IBEX Foundation

Anonymous

President's Club ($10,000+)

CIBC

     Kimberly Dwan Bernatz

Sabra and Peter Bordas

Mr. Gary Capata

Mr. Warren G. Coy

Richard Cullen and Robert Finnerty

Marjorie and Roger Davisson

The Dirk Family

Karen and Don Evarts

Mrs. Joanne C. Fernbach

Maralou and Jerry M. Harrington

Milli and Jim Hill

Carole Innes-Owens

Helen and Fritz Lin

National Endowment for the Arts

Elaine and Carl Neuss

Lauren and Richard Packard

Pacific Life Foundation

Richard and Deborah Polonsky

Dr. and Mrs. Chase Roh

Mr. and Mrs. David Troob

U.S. Bank

     Mr. Stephen Amendt

Gayle Widyolar

Platinum Baton ($6,000+)

Suzanne and David Chonette

Dr. and Mrs. Richard D. Campbell

Cheryl Hill Oakes

Golden Baton ($3,000+)

Mr. and Mrs. James Alexiou

Diane and John Chimo Arnold

John W. Benecke and Lee Marino

Mr. and Mrs. Jim Burra

Dr. Frank A. D'Accone

Marjorie Davis

Deborah and Cody Engle

Walter C. Fidler

Frome Family Foundation

Gluck Bradley Foundation

Carl and Kathy Greenwood

Elizabeth F. Hayward and Robert M. Carmichael

Sigrid Hecht

David and Michelle Horowitz

Gary and Betsy Jenkins

Ms. Elizabeth Jones

Laguna Beach Live

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Malcolm

Mr. Carl Neisser

Richard and Dot Nelson

Mr. Patrick Paddon

Angela and David Pak

Orange County Community Foundation

     The Robert J. and Doreen D. Marshall Fund

Marcia Kay and Ron Radelet

Mr. and Mrs. James G. Reynolds

Mr. and Mrs. Philip E. Ridout

Ms. Harriet Roop

Deborah and Robert Schlesinger

Ellen and Vasily I. Semeniuta

Dr. Emmanuel Sharef

Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence S. Spitz

Diane and Michael Stephens

Dr. and Mrs. David Stephenson

Wells Fargo Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. Fritz C. Westerhout

Silver Baton ($1,200+)

Dr. and Mrs. Daniel L. Abbott

Beard Family Foundation

Robert and Barbara Boies

Ms. Michelle Brenner

Dr. and Mrs. David Casey

Mrs. Linda Lipman Cassuto

Dr. and Mrs. Shigeru Chino

Mr. and Mrs. Stewart A. Clark

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Clemmer

Community Foundation Boulder County

Dr. and Mrs. Sidney A. Field

Dan Folwell

Mr. and Mrs. Donald French

Petrina Friede

Phillip Friedel

Mr. and Mrs. Philip Gold

Dr. Anna Gonosova

Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Gordon

Dr. Daniel E. Haspert and Mr. Gerard Curtin

Dr. and Mrs. Tae S. Kim

Cathy and David Krinsky

Mr. and Mrs. William F. Kroener III

Hank and Bonnie Landsberg

Vicki and Richard Lee

Peggy and Alex Maradudin

Mrs. Michael McNalley

Pat Morgan

Morgan Stanley

     Stephanie and Don Harrell

Marlene and Chris Nielsen

David and Frances Nitta Barnes

Orange County Community Foundation

Ellen Pickler Harris and Ron Harris

PIMCO Foundation

Susan Qaqundah

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Rados

Karyn K. Rashoff

Michael Ray

Mr. and Mrs. Glen L. Reeves

Christa Schar

Eva and Fred Schneider

Dr. Ellis Schwied

Sheperd Of The Hills United Methodist Church

Dr. and Mrs. Henry Sobel

Vina Spiehler

Concerto ($600+)

Janet Lee Aengst

Richard Bigelow

Mr. Scott Brinkerhoff

Sandi Campbell-McClain and Fran McClain

Mr. James Carter

Mary E. Chelius

Peter Conlon and Deborah Shaw

Helen Dell-Imagine

Mrs. John Felder

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Fuerbringer

David Gartley

Dr. and Mrs. Mark W. Gow

Terry Hanna

Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Ivey

Ms. Sumie Jossi

Dr. Nancy L. Kidder

Mr. and Mrs. Edward S. Kriz

Dr. and Mrs. Craig Leonard

Katsuhiko and Meiko Maeshige

Dr. Lani and Mr. David Martin

Goran Matijasevic

Kelly and Susan McClellan

Karen McCulley

Elizabeth Morse

Mrs. Gordon Niedringhaus

Linda Owen

Mr. Craig Poindexter

Ms. Janet Portolan and Ms. Lois Powers

Mr. and Mrs. Tom Rapport

Karyn Rashoff

Les Redpath

Chris Reed and Pat O'Brien

Herbert and Joyce Rosenblum

James and Karen Schultz

Carol Schwab

Ms. Barbara Sentell

Igal and Diane Silber

Dr. Agnes Szekeres

Dr. and Mrs. Harvey S. Triebwasser

Dag Wilkinson and Caroline Beeson

Mrs. Vina Williams and Mr. Tom Slattery

Ivy Yan

Sonata ($300+)

Richard Alexander

Brien Amspoker and Ellen Breitman

Robert Braun and Marnie Magda

Howard and Denise Brink

Dr. and Mrs. John Brown

Evelyn Brownstone

Luisa Cano

Beverly and Dave Carmichael

Judith W. Creely

Susan and Kevin Daly

Edward Jones

Mr. and Mrs. David Erikson

David R. Falconer

Dr. and Mrs. Glenn Fowler

Dr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Francis

Mrs. Sloan Gallipeo

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gibson

Marvin Goecks, Jr.

Dr. Alan L. Goldin

Mr. and Mrs. Art F. Green

Bonnie and William S. Hall

Mr. and Mrs. Howard C. Hay

Christian Heffelman

The Bryant Henry Family

Mrs. Marlene Hewitt

Ms. Grace Holdaway

Mr. and Mrs. Dan Horgan

Barbara and Don Howland

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

Mary and Stanley Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. Eric M. Kadison

Kari Kerr

Mr. and Mrs. Venelin Khristov

LaDonna Kienitz

Barbara Kilponen

Patty Kiraly

Dr. and Mrs. William P. Klein

Professor and Mrs. John Koshak

Bruce Larson and Dinny Beringer

Dr. and Mrs. Gary C. Lawrence

Elsie M. Little

Ms. Barbara Macgillivray

Francis McClain and Sandra Campbell-McClain

Jasmine Moini

Dr. Kevin O'Grady and Mrs. Nella Webster O'Grady

Mr. and Mrs. Gus Ordonez

Mr. and Mrs. John Prange

Lucinda Prewitt

Coralie Prince

Barbara and Bud Quist

Mrs. V. de Reynal

Ms. Carol L. Reynolds

Mrs. Margaret Richley

Dr. and Mrs. Stephen G. Romansky

Mrs. Merilyn Sandahl

Suzanne Sandmeyer and Wes Hatfield

Mrs. Kathleen Sangster

Pamela Sefton

Phyllis and Roger Shafer

Dr. James Shelburne

Nick and Donna Shubin

Ms. Barbara Tanner

Marva Thomas

Marjorie Tussing

Janice Wallace

Annabel Wang

Cory Winter

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Yates

Evelyn Zohlen and Mark Prendergast

Ms. Daren Zumberge

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

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
John W. Benecke, Development
Sabra Bordas, Nominating
Hung Fan, Laguna Beach Music Festival
JoAnn Fuerbringer, Orange County Youth Symphony
Jane K. Grier, Member at Large
Elaine P. Neuss, Artistic and Marketing
Douglas H. Smith, Member at Large
Jean Felder, President, The Committees

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jim Brophy
Gary Capata
Margaret M. Gates
Barbara Roberts
Dr. Steven Sorenson
Kim Weddon
Kathryn Wopschall

PRESIDENT & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Tommy Phillips

DEVELOPMENT
Susan Totten, Interim Vice President of Development
Halim Kim, Senior Director of Development
Okairy Calderon, Patron Stewardship and Special Events Manager
Paige Frank, Development Associate

MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
Jean Hsu, COO / Vice President of Communications
Marie Songco-Torres, Senior Marketing & Public Relations Manager

ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
Drew Cady, Production Coordinator
Kathy Smith, Piano Technician

EDUCATION
Sarah Little, Vice President of Education and Community Engagement
Courtney McKinnon, Manager of Volunteer and Education Services
Jennifer Niedringhaus, Education and Operations Associate

FINANCE
Roan Alombro, Vice President of Finance
Jessica Cho, Finance Associate / HR Administrator

PATRON SERVICES
Jonathan Mariott, Director of Patron Services
Angelica Nicolas, Marketing & Patron Services Associate / Board Liaison
Randy Polevoi, Musical Concierge

Founded in 1954 as Orange County’s first music organization, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County presents national and international performances of the highest quality and provides dynamic and innovative music education programs for individuals of all ages to enhance the lives of Orange County audiences through music.                   

For more than 65 years the Philharmonic Society has evolved and grown with the county’s changing landscape, presenting artists and orchestras who set the standard for artistic achievement from Itzhak Perlman, Gustavo Dudamel, Yo-Yo Ma, and Renée Fleming to the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and many others. In addition, the Philharmonic Society celebrates multi-disciplinary performances under its Eclectic Orange brand and embraces music from a wide range of countries with its World Music performances. Its celebrated family concerts introduce children to classical music with creative and inspiring performances, instilling music appreciation for future generations.    

The Philharmonic Society’s nationally recognized Youth Music Education Programs, offered free of charge, engage more than 100,000 students annually through curriculum-based music education programs that aim to inspire, expand imaginations, and encourage learning at all levels. These programs are made possible by the Committees of the Philharmonic Society comprised of 700 volunteer members who provide more than 90,000 hours of in-kind service each year.   

As a key youth program, the exceptional Orange County Youth Symphony and String Ensemble provide top-tier training to the area’s most talented young musicians through multi-level ensemble instruction, leadership training, touring opportunities, challenging professional repertoire, and performances in world-class venues. The Philharmonic Society also promotes life-long learning by connecting with colleges and universities to conduct masterclasses and workshops and providing pre-concert lectures to introduce audiences to program selections.

 949.553.2422  |  PHILHARMONICSOCIETY.ORG

Arts Management Group, Inc.

Season Sponsor

Venue Sponsor

Bob Romney, Chairman
Community Leader

Gary Fabian, Treasurer
Chief Financial Officer
Kind Lending

William Parker, Secretary
Professor Emeritus Physics and Astronomy
University of California, Irvine

DIRECTORS

Eugene Choi
Betty Martinez Franco
Harason Horowitz
Terry Jones
Mike Kerr
Jennifer Klein
Dr. Tiffany Ana López
Bonnie Lubock
James Mai
Sherry L. K. Main
Jerry Mandel, Ph.D.
Christopher Ramsey
Richard and Cheryll Ruszat
Kathleen Treseder, Ph.D.
Stuart Winston
Anu Worah

HONORARY

Larry Agran
Mayor, City of Irvine
 
Howard Gillman, Ph.D.
Chancellor
University of California, Irvine

Public Partners
City of Irvine and UC Irvine

Official Health Care Partner
UCI Health

Corporate Sponsor
Haskell & White LLP

$50, 000+

Tom and Mayumi Adams

Paul and Bonnie Lubock

Thomas Rogers and Sally Anderson

Worah Family Foundation

$25, 000-$49, 999

Gerrit and Amy Cole Foundation

The Hiland Foundation

Bill and Carolyn Klein

The Richard and Elizabeth Steele Fund

Judy and Wes Whitmore

$10, 000 -$24,999

Gregory Bates and Joann Leatherby

Clifford and Jennifer Cheng

Eugene and Carol Choi

Paul and Anne Devore

Farhang Foundation

David and Trudi Gartley

Mike Gordon

Haskell & White LLP

Harason Horowitz

Mark Chapin Johnson Foundation

Terry and Judy Jones

Mike Kerr and Jenny Backhaus

Liza Krassner

Jerry and Whitney Mandel

Goran Matijasevic

Dot and Rick Nelson

Mary Watson-Bruce

William and Janice Parker Family Fund

William and Pat Podlich

Robert E. Romney

Richard and Cheryll Ruszat – Montessori Schools of Irvine

Al Spector and Tatjana Soli

Greg Zaret

Charlie and Ling Zhang

$5, 000 - $9, 999

Stephen and Mary Auerbach

Robert and Lillyan Cendejas

Rohit Deshpande and Anita Watumull

Gary Fabian and Deb Solon

Chuck and Janet Henze

Eleanor Jaffy and Andrew Vollero

Jack and Joy Kayajanian

Robert Kazer and Jill Richter

Ken and Chantelle Labowe - Labowe Family Foundation

Josh Martin, Emerald Real Estate Partners, and Tom Politowski

James McGaugh

Natalie Miles

Tom Newmeyer

Andrei Olenicoff Memorial Foundation

James and Lynn Payne

Christopher and Lynne Ramsey

Salwa Rizkalla

Adreana Souleles

Craig and Kirsten Springer

Alexander and Sachiyo Stimpson

Ms. Renee Walter

Brian and Beth West

$2,500 - $4, 999

Terri Beber and Terry McDonald

Ellen Breitman and Brien Amspoker

Terry Causey

Albert and Anne Encinias

Arlene and Steven Fienberg

Douglas and Kathleen Forde

Greg and Sumie Haase

Michael and Charisse Lyseight

Patricia M. McIntyre Foundation Fund at the Chicago Community Foundation

Mark J. Nielsen

Marcia Novegrod

Arthur Ong and Ginger Sun

Bill and Joyce Perrone

Ron and Jan Redmond

Bob and Jo Anne Simon

Eric and Donna Stovner

Kurt and Ellen Youngs

Robert Zasa and Judy Amiano

$1,000 -$2,499

Beth and Michael Adler

Charlotte W. and Richard D. Alexander Charitable Foundation

Scott and Katherine Arbuckle

Diane and Dennis Baker

James Carter

Alice and Dennis Creighton

Brad Crosley

Gail Doe

Jeanne Egasse and Boyd Philpot

Francis and Ruby Foo

David and Judy Fukuda

Stanford Gertler

Gary Good and Jackie Charnley

Roger and Patt Grable

Geeta and Sanjiv Grover

Loren Hansen and Lorraine Caukin

Karen Kewell Jacoby

Dr. Elliott Kornhauser and Mr. Joe Baker

Rachel Levin

Lutz Moeckel

Janis and Dave Murray

James Pick and Rosalyn Laudati

Jill M. Prentice

Diana Putz

Joel B. Rothman

Debbie and Frank Rugani

Phil and Joy Ruggiero

Arkady and Ella Serebryannik

Sally Anne and Don Sheridan

Walter and Masami Stahr

Robert and Veronica Start

CarolAnn Tassios

$500 -$999

Dana and Angelika Aswad

John W. Ballantyne

Michelle Bentcliff and Ann Litke

Judy Bloomingdale

Wayne and Nancy Broadhag

Robert Cassidy

Esther Cervantes and Steve Rivero

Denise B. Chilcote

Michael and Melanie Cooper

Joan Donahue

Ann Donat

Nancy Eisenberg

Christine Fluor and Walter Scacchi

Margaret Gates, with gratitude for your education commitment

S. Glass Family

Gleicher / Chen Family Foundation

Marcus Hickerson

Melvin and Hazel Hoshiko

Kathleen Koch

Sally Kurnick

Holly Larsen

John LaRue

John Long and Tamara Taylor

Han Dinh and Martin Le

Patti Martinez

Dr. & Mrs. John Middlebrooks

Susan M. Mason

Kenneth Niedziela

Rey O'Day

Mike Peak

Arnold and Nancy Raymon

Bebe and Otto Reyer

Karen Rook

Kent Sentinella

Joe Simrell

Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Sutton

Dr. Anthony Vasek

Fred and Patricia Viele

Emily Crean Vogler

Chuck and Marilyn Wright

$250 - $499

The Aber Group Inc

Mark Achong

Fredric and Lisa Albert

Mike Baginski and Kim Ling

Mrs. Kaui Balderston

Pat and Kate

George and Linda Bauer

Ms. Suzanne M. Becker

Bruce Beckman

Sally Bender

William and Annette Blaney

Ms. Nancy Braden

Peter and Kari Bretschger

Mr. Jelle Brons

David and Lisa Butler

Robert and Valerie Carter

Michael Casey

Luisa Cano

Eileen and Henry Cohen

Anahid Crecelius

Mike Davis

Myrtle Deakins

Mary Susan Denley

Don and Debra Drysdale

Kent and Irene Dunlap

Doug Elliott

Kelly YuehChun Feng

Joanne Fernbach

Ilone and Darin Gibson

Aimee Gromfin

Mr. & Mrs. Mark Hollingsworth

Haylee Homs

Harason Horowitz and Mark Chapin Johnson

Korey Jorgensen

Jessica Kaltman

Judy Kaufman

Kerry Krisher

Bruce Larson

Michael Lawler

Vicki and Richard Lee

Edward Luedke

Ramon Lugo

Capt. Kevin M. Mac Donnell

Dr. Frank and Mrs. Linda Meyskens

William D. Miller and Florence E. Miller

Daniel Morrison

Mr. Ramon Munoz

Ms. Maryellen Musgrave

Susan O'Brien

Cyrus Parker-Jeannette

Jorge Perez Valdes

Mr. and Mrs. Rivadeneyra

Josh and Carolyn Roberts

Dr. Stephen Rochford

Gary and Melanie Singer Charitable Fund

Kris and Geraldine Shah

Kim Smith

Dorothy J. Solinger

Tina Sommers-Bernhardt

Michael and Marilyn Staffieri

Daniel and Jeanne Stokols

Ingrid Strayer

Sullivan Family

Kim Tang

Cindy Tyan

Alvin Umeda

Jeanne Villacorte

Beth Waterman

Nella Webster

Carl and Deborah Weinert

Mark and Lou-Ann Weltman

Hemantha and Sophie Wickramasinghe

Jim and Sandra Williams

Dexter and Gisele Winzey

Gary and Cathy Wyatt

Kelley Yasbek

Andy and Wendy Yurcho

$100-$249

Brian and Gloria Abrams

Susan Adleman

Hoku and Kalani Aichele

Lillian Aranda

Theresa Battel

Rosanne and William Beam

Melissa Beck and Daniel Pugh

Chris Blank and Josie Badeaux

Paul Blank

Carol Boot-Storie

Kerry and Paul Boulian

Mr. and Mrs. J. Boyer

William and Lindsay Brennan

Mr. Steven Brenneis

Gary and Wendy Bryan

Dawn Burdick

Mr. & Mr. Christopher Cabrera

Peggy Campbell

Patrick J. Chambers

Chara Orthodontics

Grace Chen

Jeff Corp

David Coscia and Mark Armstrong

Donna Cox

Vivian Daniel

Charles Davison

Matt and Jane Delorenzo

RJ, Rita, and Timmy De Rama

Rhea Dorn

Ernest Duarte

Ron and May Duff

Eduardo and Elise Espinosa

Jim and Diane Ewing

Aviva and Fred Forster

Ms. Ellen Fujikawa

Eileen Garbutt

Charles Gates

Mr. John Gibbs

Ian and Kari Gibson

Ben and Sandie Goelman

Michael and Kristina Golden

Kevin and Candice Gomez

Anna Gonosova

Ms. Judith Guffey

Patricia Hansen

Gayle and Phil Harp

Jennifer Hart

Fred and Cheryl Heinecke

Edwin Henderson

Richard and Jacqueline Heyendal

Julie Hill

Peter Holden and Angela Howley-Holden

Holmes Family

Rita B Hopper

Dr. Dena Hulbert

W. Itoga & Sons

Gary Jackson and Linda Globerman Jackson

Laurie Jacobs

Judy Jones

Audrey Kapelinski

John Keating

Angela Kraus

Arlene Kato and Mike Kurihara

Kyle and Cherrill Kawakami

Kenneth Keller

Lynne Koffler

Colin and Joan Koransky

Karen Kotake

Mr. Richard Krey

Jennifer and Robert Langer

Lorna Larson-Paugh

Robert and Karen Lechich

Paul E. Len

Cheryl and James Lewis

Amy Li

Anne Llewellyn

Willard and Bettina Loomis

Mr. Robert Lopez

Lorena Mague

Dr. Sari Mahon

Ms. Amira Mansour

Christine A. Marx

Robert Mashihara

Thomas and Glynett Mcteer

Erica Morikawa

Dr. and Mrs. John Mull

Elaine and Cameron Mummery

Tasha and Owen Naccarato

Richard Nakai and Cindy Wederich

Virginia Olson

Lisa Osako

Judy Oswald

Hon. Julie Owen

Lauren and Richard Packard

Tom and Diane Pardue

Gerald Parham

Thomas and Davida Parham

Ms. Julie Patterson

Karin S. Paul

Dr. Dolly Platt

Brian Paegel and Jeremy Pyle

Lois Rake

Paul Ramey

Elaine Ramsay

Brad Rawlins

Kenneth Reinhard and Julia Reinhard Lupton

Anita and Bruce Reisman

Dennis and Marie Richman

In Memory of Irene DeNoia

Paul Schmidhauser and Cindy Hughes

Paul and Kristen Schmidt

Jack and Katharine Schoellerman

Jill Sekiguchi, DDS

Michael Sheffield

George Sidorakis

Tom Slickelman

John L. Smith and Mary Anne Anthony-Smith

Karen R. Speros

Jack and Molly Spiegel

D. Stroebel

James and Nadine Turner

Joanne Vargas

Linda Venezia

Kathy Vickers and Jeremy Freimund

Elliot Vogelfanger

Michele and Irwin Walot

David and Renee Warren

Bruce and Susie White

Steven and Elizabeth White

Roxanne Wong

Henry and Yen Yang Wu

Susan Yee

$150+

Mark Achong
Nancy and Wayne Broadhag
Hoku and Mark Aichele
Mrs. Kaui Balderston
Gregory Bates and Joann Leatherby
Melissa Beck and Daniel Pugh
Paul Blank
Christopher Blank and Josie Badeaux
Laura Brandlin
David Coscia and Mark Armstrong
Charles and Maureen Davison
Susan Lindquist de la Parra
RJ, Rita, and Timmy De Rama
Mark and Kathi Denny
John Elwood
Eduardo and Elsie Espinosa
James Evans
Ian and Kari Gibson
Kevin and Candice Gomez
Roger and Patt Grable
Judith Guffey
Patricia Hansen
Gayle and Phil Harp
Arlene and Mike Kato
Kyle and Cherrill Kawakami
Kathleen Koch
Duane and Kathie Mauzey
Janis and Dave Murray
Hon. Julie A. C. Owen
Julie Patterson
Christopher and Lynne Ramsey
Brad and Susie Rawlins
Jill Sekiguchi
Tom Slickelman
T. Sommers-Bernhardt
Michael and Marilyn Staffieri
Cindy Thomas
Fred and Patricia Viele
David and Renee Warren
Roxanne Wong
Andrew and Wendy Yurcho

$10 monthly

Mr. and Mrs. J. Boyer
Vivian Daniel
Karen Kotake
Traci Shirachi and Cory Chhiap

$75 month

As a partner in the annual National Choreographers Initiative, Irvine Barclay Theatre is also pleased to acknowledge all those who support this important contribution to American dance.

National Choreographers Initiative 2026
Molly Lynch, Artistic Director

Honorary Producer 

Bobbi Cox

Joanne and Dennis Keith

Barbara Roberts

Michelle Rohé

Richard and Elizabeth Steele Endowment Fund

Choreographer Sponsor

Terry Causey

Sophie and Larry Cripe

Judi Gorski

Diane Silber

Dancer Sponsor

Ellen Breitman and Brien Amspoker

James Carter

Croul Family Foundation

Janet and Henry Eggers

Mary and Andrew Franklin

Artistic Sponsor

Alan Andrews and Molly Lynch

Betsy Andrews and Alex Moad

Diane Diefenderfer and David Hanlon

Gale Edelberg and Bob Butnik

Gillian Finley and Robert Labaree

Carol Hamilton

Nancy and Ned Kriz

Dr. Rosalyn Laudati and Dr. James Pick

Kathryn Lynch and Robert McDonnell

Rachelle Menaker and Eddie Schuller

Marica Pendjer and John Miller

Andrew Rose

Sally Anne and Don Sheridan

Paula Tomei and David Emmes

Lynn Weiser and Mike Tompkins

Patron Sponsor

Dr. Michael Bear

Stacie Brandt

Laurie and Bart Brown

Gail and Denis Kalscheur

David Carmichael

Joseph Herron and Dana Klein

Chuck Johnston

Margi and John Murray

Diana Putz

Kim Smith

Jenny Szabo

Karen and Gary Thorne

Barbara and Jack Tingley

Dance Shoe Sponsor

Diane and Dennis Baker

Darci Bodin

Bronny Daniels

Roberta Fox

Sharon McNalley

Ivar Roth, Concierge Podiatry & Spa

Katy and Jack Schoellerman

Ann and Richard Sim

Linda and Steve Weitz

Dance Partner

Ellen Fujikawa

Mike Kerr and Jenny Backhaus

Maurice and Alexandra Mandel

Edward McPherson

Rita Mitchell

Mitsuhiko and Reiko Nakano

Dr. Janice Gudde Plastino

Rosalind Russell

Joseph Sheridan

Dan & Jeanne Stokols

Robert Strang

Mary Vensel White

Update as of 7/14/26

DONATE TODAY

Please consider making a donation to support the work of the National Choreographers Initiative. We need your contributions to support the dancers and choreographers involved in the project. Be an angel to the arts-dance! Thank you!

Send your donation to: NCI 3334 E. Coast Hwy #276, Corona del Mar CA 92625