Sunday, November 16, 2025 | 2:00 pm | Bradley Symphony Center

Good afternoon, and thank you for attending The Violins of Hope in Concert performance by the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra's Senior Symphony. The musicians are honored to give resonant, loving voice to these treasured instruments and to share, through music, the courageous stories of those who played the violins during and after the Holocaust. We remain grateful to Avshi Weinstein, the curator and steward of this precious collection, for helping the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra bring them to Wisconsin.

During of our recent European concert tour, the orchestra took time to visit the death camps Auschwitz-Birkenau as well as other important Jewish areas in Poland and Prague in the Czech Republic. On previous concert tours some of us have visited the Dachau camp in Germany, the Anne Frank House in The Netherlands, and other memorial sites. These experiences live in our minds and spirits and serve as a foundation for our efforts during he Violins of Hope-Wisconsin residency. This afternoon's concert is a musical journey which leans into the darkness of history, the emotion of humanity, and the hope-filled desire for our present and future. And it is our hope that you will savor the special, vibrant music-making of this beloved orchestra as they share their hearts through music.

We are very grateful for the important contributions of guest artists Margery Deutsch, MYSO Music Director Laureate, Dr. Wendy Richman, and Brennan Martinez, whose beautiful musicianship, wisdom, and humanity have embraced the orchestra and promise to fill your heart and move your spirit.

The musicians that fill the stage are each wonderful young individuals who represent many backgrounds and, as young people do, pursue varied interests beyond music. Together, as an orchestra, they provide powerful and transcendent expression of what is good and hopeful in the world. We believe that this orchestra reflects the best qualities of our country, and we are so proud to share them and their artistry with you.

Thank you for embracing them with all your heart as we continue our journey together with The Violins of Hope.

Linda Edelstein, Chief Executive Officer
Carter Simmons, Artistic and Music Director

Reb Azriel David Fastag (1890–1942)/Orch. Caleb Endres (b. 2004/MYSO ‘24)

Ani Ma'amin for Symphony Orchestra

Henryk Górecki (1933–2010)

Symphony No. 3, “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” for Soprano and Orchestra
   II. Lento e Largo – Tranquillissimo
                        Ms. Martinez

Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1750) | Arr. Remo Giazotto (1910-1998) |  Orch. Edward Doemland (1938-2012)

Adagio in G Minor for Symphony Orchestra

Ernest Bloch (1880-1959)

Suite Hébraique

1. Rhapsody
2. Processional
3. Affirmation

Ms. Deutsch
Dr. Richman

Intermission

Rabbi Michel Twerski (b. 1939)        

Romimu (Exalt)

In tribute to MYSO’s friends throughout the community 

Michael Tilson Thomas (b. 1944) | Text By Anne Frank (1929-1945) 

From The Diary of Anne Frank

Allegro con brio
Lento e lugubre
Allegretto con movimento
Allegretto-Andante-Lento                        

     Ms. Honigman

Concertmasters and woodwind, brass, and percussion musicians are listed in alphabetical order.

VIOLIN
Anna Lena Derocher, Concertmaster
Christianna Ebel, Concertmaster
Stephanie Neely, Concertmaster
Henry Snavely, Concertmaster
Salvador Stein, Concertmaster
Colette Wiering, Concertmaster
Andrew Behring
Yiwen Ma
Rosy Kojis
Milo Elliott
Sophia Collins
Leif Young
Joy Zhao
Chloe Chen
Lexi Mabini
Nishanth Suthan
Carl Gauslow
Samuel Botshtein
Bode Li
Akshay Bharathwaj
Ilina Joshi
Simon Doerr
José Ortiz
Bianca Enriquez
Elina Cheng
Sarah Harkavy
Shervin Ghanbari
Daniel Li
Sloan Becker
Ishani Joshi
Vera Le Fort
Willa Grimm
Harvey Whitney
Monroe Emling
Rayna Jellish
Lawton Schick
Ellasyn Korb
Tess Ganski
James Pienkos
Nathaniel Bunn
Sophia Ball
Anna Koney
Lilah Dunlop
Julia Bell
Benjamin De Torre
Alexandra Wang
Adelaide Davis

VIOLA
Jennifer Raychel, Principal
Max Hemann, Associate Principal
Lance Westmore, Associate Principal
Grace Pett
Iris Thoreson
CJ Jacobsen
Eleanor Froelich
Evelyn Kenny
Levi Stein
Zev Stein
Anya Prakash
Jonathan Del Razo
Ruby Tilapa

CELLO
Anderson Brewer, Principal
Josiah Chu
Aurnob Ghose
Katherine Steele
Brandon Liao
Lanting Shi
Carolina Kasymova
Mariana Welsh
Charlie Johnson
Josiah Anderson
Maggie Barrett
Kyra Jester
Joanee Rosploch

BASS
Ania Kurowski, Principal
Kasen Menke, Associate Principal
Lillia Warnes
Abraham Prusha
Luke Nora

PIANO and ORGAN
Charlie Plante

HARP
Emmaline Strong

FLUTE
Maribel Cortez
Carli Hannes
Johana Kim
Lucy Merrill
Lily Talbot

PICCOLO
Lucy Merrill

OBOE
Serena Ball
Alan Bennett
Kelly Li

ENGLISH HORN
Alan Bennett

CLARINET
Hanh Bui
Madeline Makarewicz
Nikola Sindjelic
Emily Thill

BASS CLARINET
Madeline Makarewicz

BASSOON
Elise Brown
Gavin Hansen
Annabelle Rook

HORN
Cameron Coraggio
Sarah Demar
Eli Drews
Emma Manion
Leah Shatzer

TRUMPET
Evelyn Brandel
Andrew Elliott
Max Marshal
Redding Mortwedt
Katharine Wilhelm

TROMBONE
Kayli Abbott
James Duong
Louis Gones

TUBA
Lane Wendorf

PERCUSSION
Mason Clendenning
Kyler Katanik
Madelyn Kudronowicz
Charlie Plante

Haftel Violin played by Salvador Stein and Anna Lena Derocher.

Auschwitz Violin played by Colette Wiering and Henry Snavely.

Sandor Fisher Violin played by Christianna Ebel and Sophia Collins.

Star of David Violin played by Yiwen Ma and Akshay Bhavathuaj.

Yaakov Weinstein Violin played by Leif Young and Nishanth Suthan.

Storch Violin played by Andrew Behring and Milo Elliott.

AIPAC Schatzberg-Sawicki Violin played by Joy Zhao and Lexi Mabini.

Shlomo In Auschwitz Violin played by Carl Gauslow and Samuel Botshtein.

Bielski Violin played by Bode Li.

Barns Violin played by Ilina Joshi and Bianca Enriquez.

Roddie Edmonds Violin played by Simon Doerr and Shervin Ghanbari.

Max Beker Violin played by Sarah Harkavy and Ishani Joshi.

Moshe Weinstein Violin played by Stephanie Neely and Chloe Chen.

Violette’s Violin played by Vera Le Fort and Willa Grimm.

Zimmermann 5 Stars of David played by José Ortiz and Daniel Li.

Benedict Wagner Violin 1774 played by Sloan Becker and Rayna Jellish.

Klezmer 3 Stars of David Violin played by Elina Cheng and Alexandra Wang.

Dachau Violin played by Harvey Whitney and Monroe Emling.

Mother-of-Pearl Klezmer Violin played by Lawton Schick and Benjamin De Torre.

Zimmermann-Krongold Violin played by Ellasyn Korb and Tess Ganski.

Ole Dahl Violin played by James Pienkos and Nathaniel Bunn.

Pavel Zalud Violin played by Sophia Ball and Anna Koney.

Vanderveen Violin played by Lilah Dunlop and Julia Bell.

Gypsy Violin played by Adelaide Davis.

Carl Zach Viola played by Levi Stein and Zev Stein.

Carl Zach Cello played by Kyra Jester and Joanee Rosploch.

Reb Azriel David Fastag (c. 1890–1942)/Orchestrated by Caleb Endres (b. 2004)

Ani Ma’amin for Symphony Orchestra

This melody of Ani Ma’amin was composed by Reb Azriel David Fastag, a devout Modzitzer Hasid and talented cantor, born in Warsaw in 1888. In 1942, while being transported in a cattle car to the Treblinka death camp, Fastag is said to have been inspired with this haunting setting of Ani Ma’amin (“I Believe”), based on the twelfth principle of the great Jewish scholar Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles of Faith: belief in the coming of the Messiah. Ani ma’amin b’emuna sheleima, b’viat hamoshiach; v’af al pi she’yismamaya, im kol zeh, achakeh lo b’chol yom she’yavo — “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Moshiach (Messiah); and even though he may tarry, nevertheless, I wait each day for his coming.”

According to survivor accounts, Fastag sang the melody with fellow prisoners on the train. Two men are said to have leapt from the moving car, the one who survived carrying the melody to safety so it would not be lost. Fastag himself perished in the Holocaust, but his Ani Ma’amin became one of the most enduring musical testaments of faith and resilience from that era.

The melody is striking in its simplicity: a stepwise contour, somewhat dirge-like rhythm, and modal inflection that recall both synagogue chant and Hasidic song. The orchestration allows the music to move from intimate lament to collective proclamation and back to intimate lament, mirroring the journey between individual faith and communal remembrance.

As a concert work, Ani Ma’amin is more than an arrangement of a Hasidic melody; it is a memorial. This arrangement is an adaptation of the original melody, preserving the voice of Fastag and paying tribute to the countless Jews throughout the ages who have expressed Judaism’s and Maimonides’ enduring, fundamental principle of faith. In the darkest of times, Jews have clung to Ani Maamin’s words, message, and melodies, affirming their unbroken hope in the face of annihilation. Its performance by symphony orchestra elevates this longing melody and message into a universal statement of mourning, endurance, hope, and belief.

Henryk Górecki (1933–2010)

Symphony No. 3, “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” (1976) for soprano and orchestra

When Henryk Górecki’s Symphony No. 3 was premiered in 1977, few could have predicted its later impact. Its haunting simplicity, meditative pace, and profound emotional depth resonates across cultural and spiritual boundaries.

The subtitle, Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, comes from the three Polish texts Górecki chose, each a lament of a mother for her child.

The second movement is the prayer that 18-year-old young Helena Wanda Błażusiakówna carved on the wall of a Gestapo prison cell in 1944 by using a piece of her own tooth which Nazi torturers knocked to the floor. She wrote:

Mamo, nie płacz, nie.                  Mother, do not weep, no.
Niebios Przeczysta Królowo.       Most chaste Queen of Heaven.
Ty zawsze wspieraj mnie.            Help me always.
Zdrowaś Mario Łaskiś Pełna.      Hail Mary, Full of Grace.
Zdrowaś Mario.                           Hail Mary.

The symphony unfolds slowly, often with only a few notes stretching across long spans of time. Its language is rooted in the modal simplicity of early sacred music and Polish folk melody yet transformed through Górecki’s distinct minimalist style—less about repetition than about resonance, silence, and emotional space.

At its core, Symphony No. 3 is not only about grief but about love—maternal, human, and divine. Górecki described it as “a lament, but one full of hope.” The work’s long, arching lines and gradual harmonic shifts invite deep contemplation, offering a place for sorrow, memory, and ultimately, consolation. 

Tomaso Albinoni (1671–1750)/arr. Remo Giazotto
orch. by Edward L. Doemland (1938-2012)

Adagio in G Minor (published 1958)

Few pieces of Baroque music have achieved the emotional power and widespread recognition of the Adagio in G Minor. Its long, mournful lines and poignant harmonies have moved hearts in sacred and concert spaces throughout the world.

Albinoni was a Venetian composer best known in his day for his operas and instrumental concertos. After World War II, Italian musicologist Remo Giazotto—who had written a biography of Albinoni—claims to have discovered a fragment of a slow movement from an otherwise lost Albinoni sonata among the ruins of the Dresden State Library. Using this fragment as inspiration, Giazotto said he reconstructed and completed the piece, publishing it in 1958 as the Adagio in G Minor.

The Adagio unfolds with a slow, solemn theme in the strings, supported by a steady organ accompaniment.  And whether a Baroque lament or a modern homage to one, the Adagio in G Minor captures the timeless human capacity to find grace and transcendence in sorrow.

In the early 1990s, Milwaukee composer/arranger Edward L. Doemland, a music teacher in the West Allis school district, longtime Festival City Symphony member and church organist, orchestrated a version for symphony orchestra, expanding the color palette including both woodwind and brass families making something beautiful even more heartrending

Adagio in G minor endures as a profound blend of melancholy and consolation.

Ernest Bloch (1880–1959)

Suite Hébraïque (Hebrew Suite) for Viola and Orchestra, 1951

Ernest Bloch, a Swiss-born composer who became a naturalized American, is widely recognized for music that deeply reflects his Jewish heritage. Among his most evocative works are those inspired by Biblical texts, Hebrew liturgy, and Jewish folk melodies. The Suite Hébraïque, composed in 1951, is one such work, written for viola and orchestra, and it exemplifies Bloch’s ability to combine expressive lyricism with the color and rhythm of Jewish music.

The suite is structured in three movements, each capturing a different aspect of Jewish musical tradition:

1. Rhapsody – A vivid, expressive opening movement, built on rich harmonic textures and expansive melodic lines. It evokes the solemnity and intensity of ancient Jewish prayer.
2. Processional – A deeply introspective and chant-like movement, reminiscent of the voice of a cantor. The viola sings with mournful eloquence, floating over a delicate orchestral accompaniment.
3. Affirmation – The suite concludes with a lively dance, drawing on the rhythm and spirit of Eastern European Jewish folk music. This finale, with its playful yet poignant character, contrasts with the earlier meditative movements, leaving the listener with a sense of joy tempered by reflection.

Bloch himself described his music as “Jewish in spirit,” seeking to capture the emotional depth of the Jewish experience through Western concert forms. The Suite Hébraïque stands as a testament to his mastery of tone color, melodic expression, and emotional storytelling, offering audiences both a personal and universal musical journey.

Rabbi Michel Twerski (b. 1939)

Romimu (Exalt)

Rabbi Michel Twerski, the Hornosteipler Rebbe of Milwaukee and long‑time leader of Congregation Beth Jehudah, is widely recognized not only as a spiritual figure but also as a prolific composer of Jewish musical works. Over the decades, his melodies have become part of synagogue singing, outreach events, and liturgical celebrations, valued for their accessibility and emotional resonance. 

Romimu (Exalt) emerges from this tradition of expressive yet inclusive composition. The title—Hebrew “רוממו” meaning “exalt” or “lift up”—signals the work’s purpose: to elevate spirit and communal voice in praise and joy. According to sources, the piece appears on the album The Philharmonic Experience – The Music of Rabbi Michel Twerski, among other orchestral works by Twerski.

Romimu embodies the composer’s guiding philosophy: that music is “an expression of feeling” — not merely melodic craftsmanship but communal heart. As Twerski once remarked in the context of orchestral performance of his works: “The important thing is that the music is an expression of feeling.”  For an audience, this piece invites both participation (consciously or invisibly) and contemplation: exaltation anchored in tradition, yet reaching outward into the concert hall.

We invite you to listen not only to the notes themselves, but to the shared spirit they awaken—an upward movement, a communal lift, a collective declaration of exaltation.

Michael Tilson Thomas (b. 1944) / text by Anne Frank (1929-1945)

From the Diary of Anne Frank (1990)

In 1990, Michael Tilson Thomas was commissioned by UNICEF to compose a work commemorating the 50th anniversary of the United Nations’ children’s relief efforts. He chose to set excerpts from The Diary of Anne Frank, one of the most powerful firsthand accounts of life under Nazi occupation. Written between 1942 and 1944 while Anne and her family hid in Amsterdam, the diary remains an enduring testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable hardship.

From the Diary of Anne Frank is written for narrator and orchestra. The work was premiered in Philadelphia with Audrey Hepburn—herself a survivor of Nazi-occupied Holland—as narrator. Tilson Thomas does not attempt to create a traditional symphonic structure but instead weaves together spoken passages with orchestral textures that both support and respond to Anne’s words.

The score moves between moods of innocence, fear, tenderness, and hope. Lyrical, transparent string writing often mirrors Anne’s moments of youthful wonder, while darker, more angular orchestral sonorities underscore the looming threat of persecution. The music’s shifting colors and styles reflect Anne’s emotional range: from her playful observations to her deepest meditations on human dignity and the possibility of peace.

At the heart of the piece is Anne’s unwavering faith in humanity: “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” Tilson Thomas elevates this statement with a luminous orchestral backdrop, allowing her words to ring with simplicity and truth.

From the Diary of Anne Frank functions as both a memorial and a celebration: a memorial to the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust, and a celebration of a young girl’s extraordinary courage, imagination, and hope. It is a reminder of the power of words—and of music—to preserve memory and inspire compassion across generations.

Text By Anne Frank (1929-1945)

Part One
I hope I shall be able to confide in you completely, as I have never been able to do in anyone before….
And I hope you will be a great support and comfort to me.

It’s an odd idea for someone like me to keep a diary, not only because I have never done so, but because it seems to me, that neither I—nor for that matter anyone else—will be interested in the unbosomings of a thirteen-year-old school girl.

Still, what does that matter? I want to write—but more than that, I want to bring out all kinds of things that lie buried deep in my heart.

There is a saying that paper is more patient than man—it came back to me on one of my melancholy days. Yes, there is no doubt that paper is patient and I don’t intend to show this notebook bearing the proud name of diary to anyone…unless I find a real friend.

And now I come to the root of the matter, the reason for my starting a diary is—that I have no such real friend.

Let me put it more clearly, since no one will believe that a girl of thirteen feels herself quite alone in the world—nor is it so.

…I have darling parents, a sister of sixteen—I know about thirty people whom one might call friends. I have strings of boyfriends anxious to catch a glimpse of me and, who, failing that, peep at me through mirrors in class. I have relations, aunts and uncles who are darlings too—a good home. No—I don’t seem to lack anything. But it is the same with all my friends—just fun and games—nothing more.
Hence, this diary. I want this diary itself to be the friend for whom I’ve waited so long and I shall call my friend, Kitty…“Dear Kitty.”

Part Two
Dear Kitty. So much has happened, it’s just as if the whole world has turned upside-down. We are all balancing on the edge of an abyss….

No one knows what may happen to him from one day to another. Jews must wear a yellow star…. Jews must give up their bicycles…. Jews must be indoors by eight o’clock and can’t even sit in their own garden after that hour…. Jews are forbidden to visit cinemas, parks, libraries, swimming pools, sports grounds…. Jews may not visit Christians…. You’re scared to do anything…because it may be forbidden.
Daddy began to tell us about going into hiding…hiding. Where would we go? In a town or the country? In a house or a cottage? Where? How? When? These were the questions I was not allowed to ask!

I only know we must disappear of our own accord and not wait until they come to fetch us.

We put on heaps of clothes as if we were going to the North Pole. No one in our situation would have dared to go out with a suitcase. I had on two vests, two pairs of socks, three pairs of knickers, a dress, a jacket, a coat, a wooly scarf, and still more….

We didn’t care about impressions…. We only wanted to escape—to escape and arrive safely. To escape—only this… Nothing else mattered.

Dear Kitty…I expect you will be interested to hear what it feels like to disappear. I can’t tell you how oppressive it is. We have to whisper and tread lightly, otherwise someone might hear us. We are quiet, quiet as mice.

Who, three months ago, would have guessed that quick-silver Anne would have to sit still for hours…? But I am alive, Kitty, I am alive—and that’s the main thing!

I feel wicked sleeping in a warm bed while my dearest friends have been knocked down or have fallen into the gutter somewhere out in the cold night.

No one is spared—old people, babies, expectant mothers, the sick—each and all join in the march of death.

It is terrible outside—day and night, more of those poor, miserable people are being dragged off. Children, coming home from school, find that their parents have disappeared. Women return from shopping to find their homes shut up and their families gone.

And every night hundreds of planes fly over Holland and go to German towns where the earth is plowed up by their bombs, and every hour hundreds and thousands of people are killed in Russia and Africa. No one is able to stay out of it. The whole globe is waging war and the end is not yet in sight.

I could write forever about all the suffering the war has brought but then I would only make myself more dejected. There is nothing we can do, but wait as calmly as we can until the misery comes to an end. Jews wait—Christians wait—the whole earth waits. And there are many who wait for death.

What, oh what is the use of war? Why can’t people live peacefully together, why all this destruction? Why do some people starve, while there are surpluses rotting in other parts of the world? Oh, why are people so crazy?

Until all mankind, without exception, undergoes a great change, wars will be waged, everything that has been built up, cultivated and grown will be destroyed and disfigured, after which mankind will have to begin all over again.

A voice cries within me—but I don’t feel a response anymore. I go and lie on the sofa and sleep, to make time pass more quickly…and the stillness…and the terrible fear….

Part Three

Dear Kitty!

I wonder if it’s because I haven’t been able to poke my nose outdoors for so long that I’ve become so crazy for everything to do with nature! I can perfectly well remember when the sky, birds, moonlight, flowers, could never have kept me spellbound…. That’s changed since I’ve been here. Nearly every morning I go to the attic where Peter works, to blow the stuffy air from my lungs.

From my favorite spot on the floor, I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree on whose branches little raindrops glisten like silver…and at the seagulls as they glide on the wind.

The sun is shining, the sky is a deep blue…there is a lovely breeze and I’m longing, so longing for everything.

To talk, for freedom, for friends…to be alone…and I do so long to cry. I feel as if I/m going to burst…and I know it would get better with crying, but I can’t. I’m restless, I go from one room to the other, breathe through the crack of a closed window, feel my heart beating, as if it is saying, “Can’t you satisfy my longings at last?”

I believe that it’s spring within me. I feel it in my whole body and soul.

It is an effort to behave normally…I feel utterly confused…don’t know what to read, what to write, what to do only know that I’m longing…. We are having a lovely spring after our long winter. Our chestnut tree is already quite greenish and you can even see little blossoms here and there…. Our chestnut tree is in full bloom, fully covered with leaves and more beautiful than last year.

Is there anything more beautiful in the world than to sit before an open window and enjoy nature…to listen to the birds singing, feel the sun on your cheek…to be held…to be kissed for the first time.

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy, is to go outside somewhere where they can be quiet—alone with the heavens…nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy amidst the simple beauty of nature.

As long as this exists…and it certainly always will…I know there will always be comfort for every sorrow.

And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles. Mother Nature makes me humble and prepared to face every blow courageously. Nature is just the one thing that really must be pure.

Do you gather a bit of what I mean? Or have I been skipping too much from one subject to another? I can’t help it—they haven’t given me the name “Little Bundle of Contradictions” for nothing. I’ve already told you that I have, as it were, a dual personality. The first is the ordinary—not giving in easily, always having the last word. All the unpleasant qualities for which I’m renowned. The second, that’s my secret. I’m awfully scared that everyone who knows me as I always am will discover that I have another side—a finer and better side. I’m afraid that they’ll laugh at me and think I’m sentimental and not take me seriously.

I believe if I stay here much longer I shall grow into a dried up old beanstalk. And I did so want to grow into a real young woman.
I’ve made up my mind now to lead a different life from other girls…and later different from ordinary housewives. I am young and possess many buried qualities. Every day I feel I’m developing inwardly and that the liberation is drawing nearer.

Part Four
I want to go on living even after my death…and I am grateful to God for giving me this gift of expressing all that is in me.

I can shake off everything when I write—my sorrows disappear. I can recapture everything.

Perhaps I shall never finish anything…it may all end up in the wastepaper basket…or burned in the fire. But I go on with fresh courage.

I think I shall succeed.

It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals…because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery and death. I see the world being turned into a wilderness. I hear the ever-approaching thunder which will destroy us too. I can feel the suffering of millions.

…and yet…if I look up into the heavens, I think it will all come right, that this cruelty will end… And that peace and tranquility will come again.

In the meantime, I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will come when I can carry them out. For in spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart.

Dear Kitty…

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Madnek Family Giving Fund
David & Jody Margolis
Jennifer Mattes
Michael McCauley
Caryn Melton
Jen Milkman
Sue Nelsen
Cathy Nemerovski
Kathy Nusslock
Abby Panosh
Arleen Peltz
Rusty & Marna Peterson
Giordana Poggioli-Kaftan
Bunny Raasch-Hooten
Harriet Rothman
Eric Sadler
Linda Schieble
Sari Schiff
Jim & Karen Schlater
Charles & Lana Schumacher
Allan Selig
John Shannon
Rabbi Ronald Shapiro
Leslie Shear
Ide Shizuki
Emily Siegrist
Barbara & Al Simon
Nicole & Paul Sippy
Rebecca Soley
Eileen Staller
Gary & Marley Stein
Mark & Patricia Stein
Valerie & Scot Stein
Patricia & Fred Steinbach
Janelle Stemberger
Elaine Sweet
Marlies Tenhaken
Diana Turner
Jill & Todd Van Calster
Lauren Vollrath
Les Weil
Jill Weinshel
Scott & Michelle Wendt
Emily Whitacre
James B Winston
Mary L Wittmann
Mari-Claire Zimmerman

Donations to MYSO are the crucial funding source that allow us to nurture, challenge, and inspire young minds, profoundly changing lives and our community for the better. We are tremendously grateful for these important gifts.

This list recognizes gifts of $250 or more that were received in the 2024-25 year (from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025). We encourage you to contact Amber Storm, Advancement Operations Coordinator, with questions or corrections—or to learn how to make a much-appreciated gift to MYSO.

Energico
$400,000+
Scott & Lynn Molitor
The United Performing Arts Fund

Appasionato
$100,000-$399,999
The Burke Foundation
The Hearst Foundation

Maestoso
$20,000-$99,000
Anonymous
Mike & Laura Arnow
Bader Philanthropies
Jim & Andrea Emling
Tim & Sue Frautschi
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
Harri Hoffmann Family Foundation
Margarete & David R. Harvey
Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
Milwaukee Recreation Partnership for the Arts and Humanities
Erik & Carol Moeser
National Endowment for the Arts
The Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation
The ROS Foundation
Steinway Piano Gallery

Con Fuoco
$10,000-$19,999
Anon Charitable Trust
Anonymous
Anthony Petullo Foundation, Inc.
Bert L. & Patricia S. Steigleder Charitable Trust
Charles D. Jacobus Family Foundation
Rick & Kay Cozatt
Curt & Sue Culver
Digicorp, Inc.
Dr. Jeff Edelstein
George & Jill Fahr
Forest County
Potawatomi Foundation
Francie Luke Silverman Foundation
The Frank and Lucille Puncer Foundation
Frank L. Weyenberg Charitable Trust
Greater Milwaukee Foundation - Adelaide F. Banaszynski Memorial Fund
Jerome and Dorothy Holz Family Foundation
John Thomas Hurvis Revocable Trust
Krause Family Foundation
Peck Foundation, Milwaukee LTD
Ralph Evinrude Foundation, Inc.
Michael Schmitz
Harris Turer
U.S. Bank Foundation
Michael Van Handel
Lauren Vollrath
Volo Consulting, LLC
William N. and Janice V. Godfrey Family Foundation
Don & Kate Wilson
Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts

Vivace
$5,000-$9,999
Anonymous (2)
Astor Street Foundation
Drs. Brian & Laurel Bear
Ken & Kris Best
Tony & Andrea Bryant
Joe & Lisamarie Collins
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Consiglio
Tony & Jodi Consiglio
Croen Foundation, Inc.
Tom & Lynda Curl
Sandy & George Dionisopoulos
Dorothy Inbusch Foundation
Linda Edelstein
Jill & George Fahr
The Frieda and William Hunt Memorial Trust
Angela Gotcher
Greater Milwaukee
Foundation - Bobbi and Jim Caraway Fund
Greater Milwaukee Foundation - Brian McCarty
Margarete & David Harvey
Greater Milwaukee Foundation - Margaret E. Sheehan Memorial Fund
Michael & Jennifer Hansen
Heil Family Foundation
Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation
Johnson Controls
Ted & Mary Kellner
Constance Kling
Laskin Family Foundation
Maihaugen Foundation
Gerald & Elanie Mainman
Manpower Group Foundation Inc
Sharon McIntosh
Messmer Foundation, Inc.
Lisa & Michael Miksich
Milwaukee Arts Board and Wisconsin Arts Board, with funds from the State of Wisconsin
Milwaukee County Cultural Artistic and Musical Programming
Advisory Council
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
Craig & Mary Robyn Peotter
PNC Foundation
Robert W. Baird Inc.
Mark & Julie Steinhafel
Jason & Monica Stevenson
Susi & Dick Stoll
Barbara Wanless
We Energies Foundation
Zilber Family Foundation

Animato
$2,500-$4,999
Anonymous (3)
Tino & Penny Arvanetes
Baird Foundation
Ted & Janice Blum
John & Marilyn Breidster
James & Diane Brown
Linda & Sharad Chadha
Davidson and Harley Fund, Inc.
Nancy Debbink & Carol Tsao
Dal & Jackie Drummer
Erik & Vanessa Eisenmann
Elmbrook Rotary Foundation
Albert & Storm Elser
Lisa Froemming
Dan Glaser
Greater Milwaukee Foundation - Dyar Fund
Greater Milwaukee Foundation- Judith A. Keyes Family Fund
Greater Milwaukee Foundation - Milwaukee Music Scholarship Fund
Green Bay Packers Foundation
Hunzinger Construction Company
Husch Blackwell LLP
Jayne J. Jordan
Tara & Darren Kozik
Fred & Karen Krammer
Christine Krueger
Mary Lacharite
Ernest and Sally Micek
Family Foundation
Robert & Barbara Monnat
Theodore & Kelsey Perlick Molinari
Joe & Michelle Phillips
Steve & Cindy Scheil
Settlers Club of Wisconsin
Solventum
Textron
The Gardner Foundation
United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County
Sherry Wahlberg
Weiss Family Foundation
Wisconsin Federation of Music Clubs
Elizabeth Yewer

Cantabile
$1,000-$2,499
Anonymous (8)
Abbot Charitable Foundation
Helmut & Sandy Ammon
Veronica Ariens
Barry Axelrod
Maribeli & Luis Ayala
Michael & Joanne Barndt
Jean Basler
Erin Casper Borissov
Bostik, Inc.
Brico Fund
Colleen Campbell
Kathryn Carlson
Mark & Linda Carlson
Amy & Joe Cesarz
Helen Chang
Jennifer Chang
Bob Coletti
Kenneth & Sue Copp
Linda Czestler
Maelynn Colinco, M.D.
Victor Delgado
Delta Omicron Foundation
Brian & Janet Enters
Forte Services, LLC
Friends of Kayla Cooney
Barbara Froemming
Susan Gnewuch
Dr. Michael & Susan Goldstone
John & Tameica Greene
Gustav and Gladys Kindt Foundation
HH Camp Foundation
John & Marci Hunzinger
Sigrid Gullickson Jablonka & Roy H. Jablonka
Mike & Mary Jordan
Arthur & Jackie Josetti
Greg & Linda Kliebhan
Dr. Karin Kultgen & Mr. Mark Kultgen
Jay & Betty Lauck
Paul & Eileen LeFort
Jun Li
Lubar Family Foundation
Ken-David & Melinda Masur
Jennifer Mattes
Ascaris Mayo
Marilyn McDonald
MCW Orchestra
James M. Meier
John & Linda Mellowes
Laura & Paul Mintz
Nancy M. and Douglas M. Yeager Family Foundaton
Andy Nunemaker
Ron Oshima & Kari Oshima Gunderson
Richard & Lois Pauls
PNC Financial Services
Timothy & Syma Richer
Steve & Fran Richman
Jewish Community Foundation - Richman Family Donor Advised Fund
Steve Russ
Thomas J. Russell, MD
Jacklyn Rynish-Knapp & Aaron Knapp
James & Susan Sajdak
Sandy Sargent
William Scanlon
Jim & Karen Schlater
Carol & Kevin Schuele
Stephanie Seymour
John Shannon & Jan Serr
Carter & Pamela Simmons
Stafford Rosenbaum LLP
Kent & Marna Tess-Mattner
Drs. Tim & Anna Trotier
Dr. Tami & Mr. Gregg Ulatowski
Flavius Cucu & Miriam van de Sype
Margie Vehrenkamp
Judith Wenzel
White House of Music
Dr. D.F. Yoder

Con Espressione
$500-$999
Anonymous (7)
Danielle Baerwald
Ted & Lisa Balistreri
Ruzica & Troy Bartoshevich
Julia Bell
Paul & Marna Bestul
Cassie Bonneau
Richard Buchband
Sara Burns
Camille A. Lonstorf Trust
Charter Manufacturing Company Foundation
Michael Cleary
Mr. & Mrs. James Mark Connelly
Colleen Cooney
Michael Cooney
Kenneth D. Copp
Dean & Emily Crocker
Andrew DeBoer
Peter & Mary Diotte
Roberta Drews
Peter Eash-Scott
William & Juanita Edington
Trude Elliot
Patricia A. Ellis, Ed.D
Franklyn Esenberg
Kenneth Fabric
Brian & Pat Falk
Dean Fitzgerald
Phil Froemming
Sylvannah Gates
Michael & Beth Giacobassi
Jason & Diep Graham
James Gramentine
Grand Mesa Strings Publishing
Greater Milwaukee Foundation - MacDowell Club of Milwaukee Fund
Greater Milwaukee Foundation-Jacqueline Herd-Barber and Michael Barber
Theresa Hall
Torrin Hallett
Mary & David Hannes
Joel Harris
Hearst Television
Michael & Marilyn Hille
Jason & Megan Hille
Jeff & Mary Jarecki
Robin Johnson
William & Ruth Jones
Steffany Kaminski
John Kannenberg & David Jacob
Jeremy Kell
Gena & Mary Beth Kilian
David & Sarah Kolo
Mike Konshak
Phyllis Kordick
Emma & Alexander R. Kunz Sr.
Cathy & Mario Costantini
Eric & Linda Lanke
Michael & Deb Linley
Randolph Lipchik & Ravenna Helson
John & Susan Logan
Lowe Group
Sherrie Magerowski
Carol Moerke
Larry & Judy Moon
Martin Moore
Andrea Nelson
Jack & Kim Nelson
Nelson Bros. Power Center, Inc
William New
Jane Noskowiak
Kathy Nusslock
Victor & Gladys O’Mahen
Bruce Osgood
Sue Phillips
Matt & Katie Phillips
John & Nicole Pienkos
Steve & Becki Prunuske
Molly Ritsema
Chuck & Connie Roedel
Andrew Rohn
Chris & Angie Roloff
Scott & Sally Rondeau
Jeffrey & Diane Roznowski
Deborah Ruck
Andrew & Natalie Sajdak
Rick & Julie Seybold
The Sharon and Mike Grinker Donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation
Ashok Sinha
Soik Family
Carlton Stansbury
Kyle Starasinich
Mark Stein
Jack Sutte & Audra Zarlenga
Angela Pittman Taylor
Gile & Linda Tojek
Steven & Denise Trinkl
Jim & Pam Truax
Nina Vitek & Jake Spitz
Carey Vollmers
M. Darlene Wilson
WISN TV
Sabrina Wolf
Glenn Young
Kinga & Kris Zadlo

Grazioso
$250-$499
Allegis Group Foundation
Frank Almond
Anonymous (12)
Ann & Craig Aswegan
Paul Baerwald
Lucy Bahn
Marquette Baylor
Donald Beane
Joanne Beck
Terry Bellinger
Melizza Bemus
Brian Brandel
Martha Brown & Tony Lam
Jessica Bryan
Janine Brzezinski
Michael & Ericka Burzynski
Liyu Chen
Cheryl Lubotsky Children’s Trust
Serena Clardie
Sharon Cook
Alex Craig
Pat & Phil Crump
Julia & William Davis
Mark & Karen Ditthardt
T. Arthur & Valeria Downey
Steven R. & Elizabeth Duback
Esther Durairaj
Ted & Beth Durant
Thomas & Linda Dvorak
Nestor Dyhdalo & Diane Signatur
Tom Edelstein
David & Charlotte Eells
Marlene Ego
Susan Ela
Dolores Emanuelson
Laura & John Emory
Charles Engberg
Thayre Faust
Jeannie Fenceroy
Thomas W. and Nancy A. Florsheim Trust
Bob Foster
Michael Gauger
Jen Graetz
Robert & Karen Haagensen
Glen & Claire Hackmann
Margaret Hader
Nicholas & Danita Hahn
Stacy Hannemann
John Hannes
Mary Hebden
Ed & Doris Heiser
Dietrich Hemann & Megumi Kanda
Alejandra Hernandez
Alan & Jean Hilgeman
Christine & John Hojnacki
Paul Holzman
Nels & Kathy Jacobsen
Paul & Ellie Jacobson
Tim & Janine Jandrey
Eric Jensen
Jewish Community Foundation - Allen Rieselbach Famly
William Johnstone
Elaine Kapsh
Jessica Kasberger
Darla Kashian
Moshe & Deb Katz
Dan & Becky Kennedy
Mijeong Kim
Joseph Kmoch
David & Diane Knox
Dr. Joan Kojis
The Kresge Foundation
Lois Krewinghaus
Katarzyna Krynicka
Christopher & Milagros LaBeau
Eric Larson & Susan Lewis
Marlene Lauwasser
Sarah Lerand
Elliot & Eva Lipchik
Andrew & Emily Lukasek
Darren Luke
Lois Malawsky
Karen Malone
Jennifer Mattek
Don & Tamara McAllister
Madeline McGrath
Chris Merker
Scott Mihm
Lindsey Moloney
Richard & Sharon Moore
Sally Mueller
Judith Murlasits
Bryce Nett
Cheryl New
Sid Rao
Julie & Timothy Nolan
Beverly Oehler
Peter Ogden
Stella O’Neill
Abby Panosh
Dale & Barbara Pforr
Pledgeling Foundation
Anoop Prakash
Virginia Przybylinski
Joshua Putnam
Ginny Quinn
Bunny Raasch-Hooten
David Rasmussen
Steven & Rona Rindt
Myrelene Saunders
Christine Schindhelm
Steve & Lynne Schley
Russ & Barb Simpson
Gita Sinha
Paul & Nicole Sippy
Michael & Julie Sonnenberg
Valerie Stein
Erin Stilp
Burton & Audrey Strnad Donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation
Mary Stryck
Chad Tessmer & Sarah Siegel
The Home Depot Foundation
Paul Thorgaard
Trattoria Stefano
Jamie Udelhofen
Monica & Brahm Vasudev
Paul & Lynn Veldhouse
Wauwatosa West Orchestra Parents
Joel & Julie Weinberger
Del & Kim Wilson
Paul & Sandy Wysocki
YBG Consulting LLC
Nancy Zeit
Steve & Sarah Zimmerman