Spring Luncheon 5/22/25

Guild members and supporters enjoyed a luncheon at Beeb’s Sports Bar & Grill on Thursday May 22, with musical entertainment by the Aulos Duo: Catherine Jennings, flute, and Eva Langfeld, oboe.

Symphony Notes
Read the May 2025 edition of Symphony Notes (2.1MB pdf), the newsletter published by the Guild.
 

Harmony & Historic Home Tour 5/10/25
On Saturday May 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., more than 300 people toured eight historic homes in Livermore and enjoyed live music, too, at this fundraiser jointly produced by the LAS Guild and the Livermore Heritage Guild.
The tour photos below are by Rita Szollos.
The Love Livermore video promoted the tour and featured LAS Guild President PJ Wells.

April Gems
The Guild’s annual general meeting took place at the Bothwell Arts Center in Livermore on April 24. After the business meeting, the evening’s music featured four soloists from the LAS Competition for Young Musicians. Competition chair Anne Badders introduced the students. There were two piano players: Edward Xiong played a nocturne by Chopin, and Hiroshi Corro played Allegro Appassionato by Saint-Saëns. Charlotte Trinh performed the harp solo La Source by Zabel, and Matthew Lin played the first two movements of the vioin concerto by Glazunov. After some words of praise and inspiration by LAS music director Lara Webber for the technical skills and especially the heartfelt musicality of the students, everyone was invited by PJ Wells, as Guild president and MC, to enjoy refreshments provided by Guild board members.

 
Red Violin Soirée 4/11/25 This sold-out, private fundraising event organized by the Guild took place at a Livermore vineyard home on Friday April 11. It began with wine and hors d’oeuvres, included a recital by Elizabeth Pitcairn on her Red Mendelssohn Stradivarius violin, and ended with coffee and desserts. Pitcairn not only performed, with outstanding piano accompaniment by Miles Graber, but also gave some history of her violin and answered questions from the audience. Kudos to Sandra Hodzic, who created the menu and managed all the food preparation—with assistance on desserts from Guild members. It was a lovely evening with great music and lots of fun.

Sipping for the Symphony 10/11/24 and 3/28/25
We enjoyed great weather and beautiful views while having a very convivial time at Cuda Ridge Wines on October 11, made all the better because we raised funds for the Symphony at the same time! Thanks to Tim Barry’s music combo, the Jammies, who not only performed for us but also offered to play at a future show in exchange for a special donation to the Guild. And thanks to Cuda Ridge’s proprietor and winemaker, the generous Larry Dino.

On Friday 3/28/25 from 5 to 7 p.m., we again met at Cuda Ridge Wines. Thanks again to Larry Dino, the Jammies (including LAS President Tim Barry, who performed not only on guitar but also on violin!), our Guild volunteers (a special shout-out to Sandra Hodzic, who prepared the very attractive and delicious food), and to our festive sippers and supporters!

January Gems
The Guild sponsors January Gems, an afternoon of music featuring soloists from the LAS Competition for Young Musicians. Held on Sunday January 19 at the Bothwell Arts Center in Livermore this year, attendees enjoyed fine performances by Donghu Kim, cello, who played four of Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, and Yuzuka Williams, who played the first movement of Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 2. Refreshments provided by Guild board members were served after their performances.

Holiday Lunch
Guild board members and guests enjoyed a holiday lunch at Casa Orozco in Livermore on 12/4/24. Join us in 2025!

The Guild vice president and
president set the tone.

The sweater contest winner gets a
great prize from the judge.

Three of the
festive guests.

Scene at
one of the two tables.

Marches, Movies and Memories!
POPS on the Green
September 28, 2024
This was a free, fun event with family-friendly music for everyone! The symphony played music from James Bond films, Mary Poppins, Jurassic Park, Apollo 13, and more. Kids were invited to conduct the symphony, and many took up the challenge! Teenage jazz band Element 116 was featured in addition to our full symphonic orchestra of over 60 musicans playing from the outdoor Shea stage on the Bankhead Theater Plaza, 2400 First St, Livermore. Hot weather meant the audience headed for the shade, which left a sunny grassy area ideal for running, dancing kids undaunted by the heat!

As usual, our annual Pops concert was sponsored by the Symphony Guild. The concert was free, but donations to the Symphony were gratefully accepted by Guild helpers strolling in the audience. This year, their collection buckets, shown below, were quite distinctive!
(Our next Pops concert is on Saturday 9/27/25 at 3 p.m.)

 
Prelude Party
The Guild’s annual Prelude Party on September 12 was a kick-off to our innovative 2024–2025 musical season. The event included a dance recital from our very own local Valley Dance Theatre troupe and a reception of drinks and desserts after the performance. (photos by Claudia Barry)

Guild President PJ Wells
and Music Director Lara Webber

Betsy Hausburg introducing Valley Dance Theatre entertainment

Tarantella dancers

Asian Artistry soloist
and corps

Garden Symphony Tour, May 2024
We want to extend a big thank you to all the wonderful garden and music enthusiasts who participated in our Garden Symphony Tour. Mother Nature had some unforeseen plans and provided rain for the first two hours of the May 4 tour, but she didn’t deter most people, who enjoyed seeing the beautiful gardens and being treated to live chamber music at most homes.
Many thanks to our very own LAS musicians who played despite the weather and to the homeowners who never lost their enthusiasm and welcomed an adoring public. Kudos to the hosts at the Harrington Garden, Newman Garden, Dennis Family Native Garden, Jefferson Garden, and Heidelberg Garden for their generosity and hospitality.
Contributions to this fundraiser are enriching local communities through the works of both the Livermore-Amador Symphony Guild and the Livermore-Amador Valley Garden Club, helping to fund two local, community-service, nonprofit groups with long histories of giving back to the Tri-Valley area.

Guild President PJ Wells presented a check for $10,000 to
LAS Association President Tim Barry at the concert on 4/13/24.

 
January and April 2024 Meetings
The Guild’s annual winter and spring business meetings featured performances by five contestants from the LAS Competition for Young Musicians. Three of the students performed at January Gems and two more performed at the annual general meeting in April. Performing on the afternoon of January 21 at the Bothwell Arts Center in Livermore were Maggie Cai on violin, Jayden Chen on cello, and Ariel Pawlik-Zwiebel on violin. Performing on the evening of April 18 at the home of Tim and Claudia Barry in Livermore were pianist Hiroshi Corro on piano and Eileen Zhang on cello.

Soloist Hiroshi Corro at the April 2024 AGM

Eileen Zhang performing at the April 2024 AGM

(left to right:) LAS Music Director Lara Webber; soloists Ariel Pawlik-Zwiebel, Maggie Cai, and Jayden Chen; and LAS Guild President PJ Wells at January Gems 2024

Jayden Chen performing at January Gems 2024

Guild Board holiday lunch 12/20/23
 

LAS Concert 12/2/23 Ticket Sales Team … Santa’s Elves?

Volunteering with the Guild and Having Fun
Guild President PJ Wells invited the board to join her for a holiday lunch at Casa Orozco in Livermore in late December 2023. The idea was to have some fun and food and get to know each other better. As she put it, “While this is pay-your-own way, is the Symphony/Guild camaraderie not priceless?” Guild members may hear about a similar event in 2024!

 
Join the Guild!
Membership types: Active members ($20/year) participate in all Guild activities; Associate members ($35/year) participate in at least one activity; and Friends ($50/year) are informed about Guild activities but not required to help.

To join the Guild, send your contact info (name / address / phone(s) / e-mail) and a check payable to Livermore-Amador Symphony Guild or L.A.S.G. to the Treasurer, LAS Guild, 583 Bell Ave, Livermore CA 94550. Note any areas you’d be especially interested in helping with. Or print and fill out an application form and mail it in with your check.

Note: The application form is a pdf document; open it with Adobe Reader.

For more information, please email Guild President PJ Wells at pj.wells.ca@gmail.com or phone her at 925.245.0625.

 
Sipping for the Symphony Photos
This fundraiser was at Page Mill Winery, 1960 South Livermore Ave., in Livermore for three years, and on March 15 and October 11, 2024, we had Sipping events at Cuda Ridge Wines, 2400 Arroyo Road, Livermore. Sipping is organized by the Guild and has been supported by each winery. Guests enjoy musical entertainment, fine wines, delicious nibbles, and unique auction items. Usually two-thirds of the wine-tasting fees plus ten percent of all sales have gone to the LAS Guild.(The photos are from 9/23/21, 9/22/22, and 9/28/23.)

Past Guild treasurer Joan Dickinson (left)
and current treasurer Judy McMurry. 2023

LAS Conductor Lara Webber (left)
with Phil King and Linda Tinney. 2023

Musicians Brad Herbert (left) and Tim Barry,
LAS Assn. president. 2023

Wine to sip and good food to eat, too.
2022

LAS violin player Lana Hodzic (2nd from left)
and friends. 2021

A relaxing table scene during
Sipping with the Symphony. 2022

Linda Tinney, past Guild president,
and Carole Lince, event volunteer. 2021

Musicians Tim Barry (guitar/mandolin/voice)
and Brad Herbert (electric bass). 2022

Beth Wilson (flute) and Kate Fisher (cello),
one of two musical duos in 2021.

 
Purpose
The Guild is the highly dedicated support group and fund-raising branch of the symphony; it has been a (large, active!) auxiliary of the Symphony Association since 1963. Its purpose is to stimulate interest in the Livermore-Amador Symphony and to provide financial support. Membership is open to all who share this goal.

 
Meetings
The Guild meets four times a year (and its board meets about ten times a year); each meeting includes music and food in addition to a short business meeting. The first meeting each season is a prelude party in September, usually with a program by Valley Dance Theatre; other meetings are usually in January, April, and May.

Activities

The Guild’s activities are varied; for example, the Guild handles the annual season-ticket campaign of the Symphony, presents pops concerts, publishes a newsletter, and organizes estate sales. The Guild organizes “Sipping for the Symphony,” annual late afternoon / evening events at local wineries like Page Mill Winery and Cuda Ridge featuring music performed by LAS-related chamber groups. The Guild even raised several hundred dollars through Patxi’s Pizza in Livermore in 2018.

 
Bylaws
The current LAS Guild bylaws (89K pdf) went into effect on July 1, 2016.