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Fox Valley Orchestra Endowment Fund

Established 2013

Fox_Valley_Orchestra_logo_1fox_valley_orchestra.jpgThe Fox Valley Orchestra created an endowment fund within the Community Foundation to provide income for its future charitable needs.

The orchestra is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose purpose is to provide fine musical performances for people of all ages and educational opportunities for youth.

The organization accomplishes its goals through enlisting widespread community support for a symphony orchestra of professional quality with a primary focus of bringing great music to the Fox Valley community.

Dr. Colin Holman was the conductor of the Fox Valley Orchestra for its first five seasons from summer 2010 – summer 2015.  Dr. Holman is a graduate of the University of Birmingham, England.  He holds a master’s degree in orchestral conducting and a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Kansas.

Before moving to Chicago, Dr. Holman taught Japanese and American students for two years at Teikyo Westmar University.

He has lectured at both the undergraduate and graduate level at Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University, Wheaton College, and North Park University, and has been the orchestra director at Loyola University since 2007.

The Fox Valley Orchestra is currently in the midst of a search for a new music director. The new conductor will be chosen in March of 2017.

Many of the musicians offer music lessons or provide music for weddings, banquets, and other occasions.

The schedule for upcoming concerts is available on the Fox Valley Orchestra website.

Fox Valley El Sistema – bringing social change and opportunities to youth.

Fox Valley El Sistema, based on the Venezuelan program of the same name, is a system not only of music education and performance, but also of social change and community building.

It becomes a vehicle of reducing crime and poverty in any community where it is established.

The enrichment of the human spirit and the sense of identity that evolves in the children is invaluable to their intellectual development and social success.

By removing the economic barrier to entry that is common to the performing arts world, El Sistema opens the doors to those most in need of these opportunities.

Through free instruction and provided instruments, children are given a chance they would likely never receive or afford elsewhere.

The Fox Valley Orchestra is excited to partner with Communities In Schools, Smith Elementary School in Aurora, and our donors to bring the first El Sistema program to our own Fox Valley Community.

Education is important to us. We support causes that touch our lives and align with our values. We believe in paying it forward. We are here for a short time,, and it is the next generation that will take on what we leave behind.

Michelle Emanuel

Donor and Past Scholarship Recipient

YEP has made me realize the importance of being involved in my community, and how to make a difference. There are a lot of problems in the world but if we can do everything that we can to help the world will become a better place. YEP has helped me realize this and encouraged me to help more people in the future.

Madi Porter

YEP Member

I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.

Taytum Newell

Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient

Give your gift of time and see what it means to the people you impact. Helping others is what life is all about.

Neal Ormond

Donor & Fund Advisor

YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.

Abby Vagnoni

YEP Alumni

Grant funds from the Community Foundation helped provide updated technology. These upgrades were transformative. By creating new time saving processes, it turned us into a more efficient organization.

Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry

Grantee

Being a part of the Community Foundation scholarship committee is the highlight of my year. For many, a scholarship from the CFFRV is the reason they are able to continue reaching for their dreams and changing the future of our world. I hope each recipients knows just how inspirational they are to those of us who are lucky enough to read their stories.

Jessica Breugelmans

Scholarship Committee Member and Board Member

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

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