eNotes :: Hallelujah! The Holidays are Here! 😁

"Frosty Windshield" by Michael Connor

December 2022 eNotes

Dear Friend,

We are truly reveling in anticipation of our wildly successful return to the Auburn Symphony’s annual holiday concert, the Messiah Sing-along! On December 6th, our wonderful orchestra, special guests the Music in the Mountains Choir, and guest soloists, will greet a packed house of concertgoers, many of whom have attended for years, bringing along their own marked-up songbooks and considering this tradition to be the start of their Christmas season.

One very poignant story just came to us from Diahn Gilpin, who is coming down from Reno with husband Carey and their 15-year-old daughter (a talented budding choral musician who will be singing the Messiah for the first time!). Diahn tells us this is a very special trip for them because Carey brought her to our Messiah Sing-along18 years ago! Her father had passed away earlier that year and the two of them had shared some special Messiah moments. After bringing Diahn to this holiday concert, they were engaged and married the following December . . . and are now very excited to be returning to the concert with the next generation of their family’s Messiah lovers.

What a precious ASO memory! We are grateful for the opportunity to revive our Messiah Sing-along after the hiatus of the last few years, and humbled by the steadfast loyalty of our patrons. It’s a delightful way to usher in this month’s festivities!

This month, I also want to remember the work of local artist Michael Conner, who participated in last spring’s “Call to Artists” and gave us the stunning artwork that we chose to represent this holiday concert and our Messiah Sing-along poster. Sadly, Michael passed away over the summer, before we could publicly thank him during our musical season, so we honor him now. Through our collaboration with the Placer Artists Tour, you can join Auburn Symphony musicians at the Auburn Old Town Gallery on Saturday, December 17th, during the Old Town Auburn Christmas event for a special reception from 5:00-7:30 p.m. celebrating all the artists whose works are being highlighted in our programs this year. (Click here for the flyer.)

Short on shopping time and looking for holiday gifts? Consider making a donation to a Musician Chair Sponsorship as a way to share your love of the Auburn Symphony Orchestra with the other loves in your life!

Click here to sponsor a musician!

The spotlight on Auburn Symphony musicians this month is our holiday gift to you - the delightful introduction of the Mangonons, nicknamed “The Mangos”!

This energetic husband-and-wife team are both part of the brass section - Mike plays trombone and Jaime plays the French horn. Their “day jobs” as music teachers keep them finely tuned into our orchestra. Mike is Band Director at Cosumnes Oaks High School and also serves as a Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Specialist for the district, while Jaime is Band director at Elizabeth Pinkerton Middle School.

This dynamic duo moved to California in 2003, after deep dives into music education and establishing careers. They first played with the ASO for the Alpine Symphony in 2017 (as a “bucket list” item, neither could resist the opportunity) - Jaime never left and Mike joined us last season. We are so blessed to have their talent and dedication in our constellation, but their gifts don’t stop there. They have three adult children who are all musical. When they were in middle or high school, Mike and Jaime were their band directors, and music was always seen as something they could enjoy as a family!

Jaime shares a fun fact about The Mangos: when they first met at Florida State University, they “despised one another! After a couple of years, we both grew up a bit and became friends, then dated and married.” She also believes that her classroom poster rings true, “The more you get into music, the more you get out of life!” In reflection, “After a long day of work teaching students the basics of music, we both enjoy coming to play our instruments in this orchestra. Thank you for having us.” (Thank YOU, Mike and Jaime!)

Huge thanks to those of you who generously donated to our Giving Tuesday campaign! The contribution amount more than doubled from prior years and the number of donors increased by 35%! Your donations help us build community through our outreach programs. Salut!

In closing, no matter how you celebrate this holiday season, all of us at the Auburn Symphony send warm thoughts for the absolute best of times and a Happy New Year. See you in our jam-packed 2023.

Hallelujah!