Dear MSO Retirees,
Hope this finds you ready to end those “crazy, hazy, lazy days of summer” and begin the new Fall season. Labor Day seems so early this year and what is this business of school starting in August? I know it has gone on for a while, but how many snow days are really needed?! Even in Kauai school began the last days of August, but I guess we do have hurricanes, volcanoes, and such.
September also brings a number of our retirees’ birthdays, beginning with Liz Clem on September 4th. Roger Ruggeri soon follows on the 6th, David Taggart on the 8th, with Tom Wetzel celebrating on the 12th. Bonnie Peterson and Fred Clem share the 26th with Fred having the honor of being our oldest retiree member at the spunky age of 86 years! Best wishes to all of you for a most happy birthday!!
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We welcome Janet Millard to our group. Janet was Principal Flute before Linda Toote and Jeani Foster.
Janet kindly sent us her update:
I have lived in Phoenix for the past 14 years. When I moved here I was working for United Healthcare in IT, but I retired about six years ago. I love Arizona and became a devoted desert rat in no time. There is scads of public land and good winter weather, so I went back packing on January 1st the first year I lived here!
I was suffering a great deficiency of music in my life, so I am learning to play the cello. Something I always meant to do. It’s a slow business at my advanced age! But very rewarding. I play with the Scottsdale Philharmonic (all volunteers).
The big adventure for this year was the wedding of my older son, Jeronimo, in Bogota. He married his Colombian girlfriend he met while working there for five years. It was a large affair and many friends and family went south for the celebration in February. The party lasted all night. His brother Camilo decided to stay there for the next year or so. He is a poet and translator and hopes to find work and a thesis topic there. I’m hoping he will find a nice Colombian wife!
Here are a couple of wedding photos of my children.
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Retirees Tom Wetzel and Dennis Najoom had a visitor from the East coast, Alan Baer, our past Principal Tuba who is now with the NY Phil. I think David Lussier is the other member of this jolly group. David is a local AFM officer and trombonist who often subbed with us. I love the doggie bags.
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Our own indomitable Judy Ormond was spied on her new eBike. Now that she can go 19mph uphill, she is a power force on the trail.
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Roger Ruggeri and Andy Wagoner enjoyed a family celebration this summer.
This is my family. Back row, Uncle Roger Ruggeri, our friend Rich, cousin Gina R, me, cousin Roger R, Cousin Nancy, Nancy’s son Ben. Next to me, Mom, Kirsten and Bella (Lance’s wife and daughter) Kneeling, Andy (Rogers wife) and my brother Lance. By Wendy Wallace
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New retiree David Taggart has not been letting the grass grow under his feet. Here he is with wife, Terry Burko, as they ride in David’s Team Chemo-Sabe in the Scenic Shore 150 this past July. David writes:
Only six weeks ago we endured the 150-mile ride from heck, crossed the finish line under our own power, and my Team Chemo-Sabe has raised over $101,500 to support the LLS mission to cure blood cancers!!!
What an amazing accomplishment! But anyone knowing David and Terry will not be surprised. David is also keeping busy playing with the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra. I was amazed to learn that the MMO was established in 1900 and is the oldest such organization in the US! They have a concert coming up on Saturday, September 15, 1:30PM and 3:30 PM at the Lynden Sculpture Garden. Their ad says you can enjoy the music, learn about the sustainable forest cycle, have family-friendly fun with hands-on activities and entertainment, along with great food. Seems like a great way to spend some time with the grandkids and support a fellow retiree.
David’s Chemo-Sabe Team
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MSO second bassoonist Larry D’Attilio and wife Pam Foard, violin sub with the MSO for many years, visited his former Principal Steve Basson and wife, Peetie, at their Milwaukee home. Larry and Pam now spend their time between California and Vietnam. The music gene continues in this family. Their son, Aubrey, has won the Principal Tuba position with the Baltimore Symphony.
Aubrey Foard has won the position of Principal Tuba with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He will begin playing with the orchestra in Fall 2018. He also serves as Lecturer of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and as Artist Faculty at the Brevard Music Center. Foard was most recently principal tubist of the Charlotte Symphony, where he had performed since 2012. He has previously held principal tuba positions in the Santa Barbara, West Virginia, Canton, Youngstown, and Albany Symphonies as well as with the Britt Festival Orchestra. He has performed as a guest musician with several other orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, the Louisville Orchestra, Arizona MusicFest, and as Acting Principal Tubist with the San Diego Symphony. Foard is a graduate of The Colburn School’s Conservatory of Music, Rice University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. His teachers include Norman Pearson, Fritz Kaenzig, Mark Lawrence, David Kirk, and Alan Baer.
Larry still pursues his passion for photography. You may remember reading here about his beautiful photo book, The Soul of Vietnam, which was published a few years ago. He is now using his creativity in new ways. Steve writes:
This is one out of a series of Larry’s recent works, they are on a large scale and in a genre that combines abstraction with some recognizable images; he has not lost an ounce of his enthusiasm.
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Had a note from Anne DeVroome Kamerling:
I’m going send you a couple of photos…the first from our 1987 wedding, the second from a Carnival cruise we took this spring with daughter Kim and her 2 boys (Max-16, Victor-13). Our 31st wedding anniversary is this week (July 25) and Garry‘s 92nd birthday is July 26. He’s still zooming around the neighborhood on his recumbent trike, while I am tackling the weeds that have found a happy home here.
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Karen Smith’s mother passed during the last week of August. Fortunately Karen and Don (Haack) were able to be with Mom in Michigan during her transition time. If you would like to contact Karen, find her at 943 North 33rd Street, Milwaukee, 53208; smithkarenp@gmail.com; 414-933-8064.
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Our MSO is gearing up for another new season. The opening concert is on Saturday, September 15, with guest conductor Ken-David Masur and pianist Boris Giltburg performing the Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2 and Symphony No. 2. This is quickly followed three rehearsal days later!!! with The Rite of Spring and the Dvorak Piano Concerto with Sunwook Kim, Karina Canellakis, conducting. This program also includes Lili Boulanger’s D’un soir triste. Hope you will use your Golden Ticket and attend these opening performances if you can.
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For the latest in photos of the deconstruction/construction of the new Grand Theater venue for the MSO, look at ttps://www.jsonline.com/picture-gallery/entertainment/arts/2018/08/02/photos-construction-milwaukee-symphony-concert-hall/887853002/.
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Linda Unkefer is now officially retired. Mark Niehaus sent the following to musicians and staff:
We had the luxury of time and after an exhaustive search I couldn’t be more pleased to let you know that we have found Françoise Moquin. She comes to us from Richmond, Virginia, where she has been personnel manager for the Richmond Symphony and several smaller orchestras, Orchestra Manager for the Castleton Festival, and a freelance violinist. Her first day will be August 28, and you will meet her at the first rehearsal of the season on September 12.
Linda Unkefer has graciously offered to overlap with Françoise through the end of October, and you should feel free to continue to contact her as you normally would for any issues until Françoise arrives.
Replacing Linda was a daunting task. For decades, Linda has been the soul of our organization and a steward of our internal culture. Please save the date as we will be holding a celebration for her on October 23rd. Did someone say Octoberfest?
The retirees are invited to this celebration so please circle Tuesday, October 23, on your calendars. Time and place will be sent to you as soon as it has been determined.
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Thinking of D. Andrew Moquin, our Marketing Director of many years ago, I found this on the internet. It is a long read, but most interesting!
From the Bellingham Music Festival Brochure, 2018
D. ANDREW MOQUIN
Andrew is a native of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, attended college on the East coast and eventually moved to the Northwest with his wife Kay in 1990. He is a graduate of Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island and also attended St. Steven’s College in Dover, Massachusetts where he studied with the intention of becoming a priest. After college he worked in marketing, public relations and development back in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Having completed campaigns with St. John’s Military Academy in Wisconsin, the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra he accepted the position as Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Over a period of fifteen years he helped develop one of America’s top dozen major symphony orchestras. Following this, Andrew did similar work with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which was under the direction of Antal Dorati. It was there while living in Grosse Pointe, Michigan that he changed careers and became involved in the gourmet food business eventually opening a restaurant and catering business. Also that is where he met his wife Kay. After marriage and a six-year period living in Grosse Pointe they decided to make a move. They sold businesses, did extensive research and eventually ended up in Bellingham, Washington before taking a magical year off travelling around the world. Since Kay was an Interior Designer she set up her business with Andrew’s help. He then took up ownership of Il Fiasco Restaurant for five years. They both became involved in the community and the restaurant served as a gathering place for business, civic and social events. Andrew was a member of the group that helped revive and restore the Mount Baker Theater in the early 90’s and also served on the Theater’s Board of Directors. He was invited to become a member of the Bellingham Rotary Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow. In 1993, Andrew was one of the founding board members of the Bellingham Festival of Music and served as the Festival’s President and Executive Director for many years. He is still intimately involved with the classical music festival as the Guest Artist Coordinator, serving as well as a consultant and assisting with fund raising and the legacy giving program. In 1997, he was a recipient of the Mayor’s Arts Award and in 2004 was recognized as a nominee for the Priscilla Sabin Award for outstanding contributions to Whatcom County’s Tourism Industry. Andrew lost his partner Kay to cancer in 1997, is now retired, yet quite active. He joined the Whatcom Community College Foundation Board of Directors in 2015 and was instrumental in starting the “Magic of Whatcom” dinner/auction. This event in a two year period has helped to raise over $250,000 for the college. He also served as a member of the college Campaign Feasibility Study Committee in 2017. Andrew states that “a highlight of his life for the past 25 years has been the involvement in various capacities with the Bellingham Festival of Music. It has been an honor to serve and I am truly grateful for all those dedicated souls past and present who help make this great classical music event happen in our beautiful corner of the world. It does indeed enrich our lives”.
Wow.
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That does it for this month. Please, if you do have any news to share, send it along. Anything posted to Facebook, a joyous or sad note to family and friends, please share with us, too. Your fellow retirees want to hear from you. Facebook and the internet are my usual sources and for many of you already on Facebook, this Update is mostly old news- and it does take time searching each of your names. Haven’t heard in a while from (Yes, I am going to name names): Linda Siegel, Pat Mumm-Lovely, David Babcock, Richard Kimball, Lewis Rosove, Paul Mehlenbeck, Danis Kelly, Anne Sczygiel, Kay Goodwin, Phil Grossman, Arlene Klavins, Barb Ballin, Joe Conti, Janice Hintz, Margaret Wunsch, Glenda & Gary Greenhoe, Paul Tervelt, Bailey Gartner, Marty Woltman, Taik-Ki Kim, Rick Metzger, Don Haack, Norma Zehner, and Bruce Salzman. Take pity, please 🙂
With best wishes to you and your families,
Andrea
Mark Pullinger, London
OLOMA65 