Posted by Nancy Danforth on Sep 01, 2022
We were privileged to learn about the VSO's upcoming season from Executive Director Elise Brunelle.

Elise Brunelle from Vermont Symphony Orchestra is our speaker today!

 

Carrie called the meeting to order at 8:30.

 

Carrie welcomed Elise to our meeting.

 

This weekend our club owns the Rotary club tent. Carrie, Amanda and Charlie will assist.

 

Ticket sales for the golf ball drop are going well.  There was some great sales at the Shelburne Day event including a winner of the “guess the number of balls in the jug “ contest for which one ticket was given.  Carrie and Margo sold tickets at the Hinesburg IGA last night with success as well.  Two more weeks of selling till the event!

 

Saturday September 10 is the next Racevermont race, departing Shelburne Beach.  Please let Chris know if you are available to volunteer.

 

Wood 4 Good is hosting a Rotary volunteer dayat their Jericho location on October 22.  Carrie will send out a link to sign up for a shift, for which there are three.  It would be great for our club to have a contingency at this well publicized event.

 

Please let Ric Flood know if you plan to purchase your ball for the “non car raffle” asap.    

 

October 15 is crocus planting date.  Jim will keep the club up to date on the progress of this community project, dependent on the arrival of the bulbs. 

 

Shelburne small pond renovation update; Chris said they are surveying the stake holders right now so the actual renovation will not take place in 2022. 

 

Jessica announced the upcoming speaker list which can be viewed on our website.  But set aside November 9th because Major General Gregory Knight from the Vermont National Guard will be our speaker.  Please send her and/or Diana an email about project ideas you may have for the holidays.

 

Denis collected the happy fines.

 

Diana introduced Elise Brunelle, Executive Director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra as our speaker today.  Elise grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota in a musical family.  She graduated from Lawrence University in Wisconsin. Most recently she lived and worked in Capetown, Africa. She moved back to the United States and this job became available and was just what she was looking for.

 

This is the eighty eighth year of the VSO!  Jamie Lorado, the Musical Director for the past ten years, is retiring.  This is a very important position and is highly sought after.  The VSO is currently bringing in candidates to direct the symphony and see how the orchestra feels and works with him/her.  Jamie’s last concert is May 2023.    

 

The “VSO Kids” is a very big part of their mission. They go to about ninety schools per year and integrate the program with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).  “Young Composers” is another program they manage, teaching children to write music with a live concert to showcase their compositions. “VT Youth Orchestra” and “MasterClef” are also programs the VSO promotes and manages, all designed to educate the children of Vermont. 

  

The JEDI: Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion program, Jukebox Quartet, Classical Series, Visualizer Orchestra, VSO Chorus, Pride String Quartet, and of course, the Summer Festival Tour are all events and programs we are all welcome to attend.  Find the complete schedule at www.vso.org    

 

The Orchestra has a $1.5 million budget annually with many sources of income.  But volunteerism is also very important as fifty percent of the musicians don’t live in Vermont so housing is very important along with many other jobs available to put on these events.   

 

Jim Donovan presented the book, “Music”  by Nicholas O’Neill and Susan Hayes to Elise which will be presented to the Charlotte Library in her name.

 

Carrie adjourned the meeting at 8:30.