A heartfelt note from Lexie: Thank you for visiting my fundraising page for Lakeview Orchestra's 2024 fundraiser -- "United in Music!"

I joined Lakeview Orchestra in 2016 as a violinist, and I joined the orchestra's board of directors shortly thereafter. It is my great honor to play in this outstanding orchestra and to serve in a leadership capacity to help make this organization into one of Chicago's finest ensembles. I am deeply greatful to every friend who has so generously supported our orchestra over the years by attending our concerts, purchasing tickets, making donations, spreading the word about our organization, and listening to me talk endlessly about the orchestra and how awesome it is. Thank you so much! What makes Lakeview Orchestra so special? Let me count the ways:

1) Authentic, Diverse Community - Lakeview Orchestra provides an outlet for a diverse group of highly trained musicians to volunteer their time and talents in order to produce high-quality concerts with low-priced tickets that are available to all members of the Chicago community. The musicians (who work full time in various fields such as education, medicine, law, etc.) rehearse weekly to carefully prepare each exciting program that inspires, educates, and entertains our audiences. In addition to performing at the historic Athenaeum Theater in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, we bring our music into other community venues such as free chamber music concerts, benefit concerts, and performances in nursing homes and elsewhere. 

2) Artistic Excellence - Lakeview Orchestra has been recognized as a premier ensemble by organizations such as the Illinois Council of Orchestras and Chicago Classical Review (CCR), which recently praised Lakeview Orchestra as an ensemble that “consistently punches above its weight with committed playing, intelligent musical direction and, often, superb performances that belie its nonprofessional status.” Lakeview Orchestra received a prestigious “Honorable Mention” from CCR for a Top Ten Performance of 2023!

3) Collaboration with Other Chicago Non-Profits - In June 2023, Lakeview Orchestra participated in a profound collaboration with JCC Chicago to produce our concert "Violins of Hope," at which JCC Chicago leaders spoke to our audience about violins that were played by victims of the Holocaust. (Lakeview Orchestra musicans played on six of these violins at the concert.) JCC Chicago leaders shared the stories of these Jewish musicians and offered messages of hope, peace, resiliance, and compassion. I was honored to serve as the Program Chair for this impactful program, at which we featured the piece "Dreams of Hope" composed by Dr. Henry Panion and performed by violin soloist Caitlin Edwards (both pictured). Caitlin even performed on a violin that had belonged to a prisoner at Auschwitz. Collaborations and educational performances like "Violins of Hope" are at the heart of Lakeview Orchestra's mission. (The full "Violins of Hope" concert video can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/2bOZ1pQhsTY?si=oAlnziK-bOgxviIe.)

4) Sustainability -- Financial and Environmental - Lakeview Orchestra operates in a financially and environmentally sustainable manner. Whereas organizations like our beloved Chicago Symphony Orchestra have a multi-million-dollar annual budget, employ a large number of staff members, fly in conductors and soloists from all over the world, and take expensive overseas tours, Lakeview Orchestra is a community group that focuses on excelling locally. Our operating budget is modest, we rely on the generosity of volunteers instead of a large staff and corporate donors, and we sustain a healthy environment by drawing from local resources for our musician, conductor, and soloist ranks. This focus on local sustainability means that Lakeview Orchestra can take more artistic risks, cultivate a unique musical identity, and operate in a healthy manner long into the future in order to meet the needs of the community.

5) Agility and Experimentation in Programming - Lakeview Orchestra is committed to agility and experimentation in our musical programming. We utilize various concert formats featuring established symphonic repertoire, children's concerts, "audience choice" concerts, new contemporary music, and bold collaborations with other musical groups. Orchestra and audience members get to propose musicial ideas to our Artistic Director, and we incorporate those ideas into our programming.

6) Supporting Local World-Class Musicians - Lakeview Orchestra is honored to provide a platform for local world-class Chicago-area performers to appear as soloists. For example, we have featured local musicians affiliated with Sphinx Organization, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and other professional musical organizations. We are proud to showcase the world-class talent that is in our backyard!

7) Supporting Young Artists - Lakeview Orchestra holds an annual Young Artists Concerto Competition that awards young musicians with the opportunity to perform a concerto as a soloist with our orchestra along with a cash prize. Our prestigious competition serves as an important launching pad for young artists at the beginning of their careers. Several of our competition winners have gone on to win major national and international music competitions and prizes and to continue their musical studies at top music schools and conservatories. We are proud to support and nuture young artists!

Thank you for supporting Lakeview Orchestra! Every donation, no matter the size, directly impacts our organization and enables us to thrive and grow to further serve the community. We look forward to hearing from you, getting to know you, and incorporating your ideas and suggestions into our future programming!

Sincerely,

Lexie Newman (Violinist & Board Member)

Lakeview Orchestra, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is dedicated to enriching the cultural landscape of Chicago, making orchestral music accessible to all by providing affordable and high-quality performances to our community.

Over eleven seasons, the Lakeview Orchestra has established itself as “Chicago's premier non-professional orchestra” (Chicago Classical Review), serving as a hub of musical excellence and community engagement. Our annual five-concert season at the historic Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture has consistently garnered critical acclaim and enthusiastic audience response. And, we have persevered through challenges from startup to sustainability, including weathering the devastating impact of the pandemic shutdown, and emerged stronger than ever.

The 2023-24 season is a pivotal juncture in our organizational maturity. This season, philanthropic support is impacting these three pillars:

• New guest conductor program. In the 2023-24 season, through a competitive process, we inaugurated our guest conductor program. We retained two professional conductors to lead the orchestra in concerts they have programmed in partnership with the orchestra’s artistic director. 

• Expanding our visibility. We are working to increase our presence in the community, attracting new patrons and supporters. Your generosity supports enhancing our marketing efforts, reaching a broader audience, and promoting our programs more effectively.

• Professionalizing our operations. We are committed to elevating our operations to the highest standards. This season we have hired a new general manager with decades of experience in non-profit arts management.

   

Join the Campaign
Your generosity not only sustains our organization but also nurtures the artistic talents of our members, providing them with a platform for beautiful music-making. Your contribution ensures that our musicians have the resources they need to flourish creatively, fostering a collaborative environment where they can share their gifts with the world. Joining our campaign enriches the lives of both our musicians and our audiences, fostering a vibrant ecosystem where artistic excellence thrives.

Donations to the orchestra are 100% tax-deductible and will directly fund the Orchestra’s operations.