The La Porte County Symphony Orchestra (LCSO) presented its annual summer concert at the Friendship Botanic Gardens on Sunday, July 21. The announcement of the winner of the Battle for the Baton contest was also revealed during the concert.
The fundraiser focuses on La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody, Indiana State Representative Jim Pressel, and State Senator Mike Bohacek who faced off for a chance to take the conductor’s podium and conduct the LCSO in one of the songs.
“We kicked this fundraiser off about six weeks ago,” Emily Yiannias, LCSO executive director, said. “Each of them is competing with one another for a chance to come onto the stage and lead one of our pieces. They’ve each been working very hard to help out with the fundraiser.”
The winner of this year’s Battle for the Baton contest was Dermody, who received overwhelming applause for not only his contributions to the fundraiser but also the way he conducted the band.
Yiannias noted that the crowd had a lot to be excited about in terms of the musical selection for this concert.
“There’s a wide variety tonight,” Yiannias said. “There’s some classical favorites, an overture to Candide, and even some Michael Jackson.”
Ultimately, Yiannias believes this is a great way to spark some fun by helping out with the Steck Family Music Education Fund.
"This Fundraiser will continue through July 31, so there is still an opportunity to support music education for kids in our community! Visit lcso.net to give," Yiannias said.
The Steck Family Music Education Fund was established in 2023 to provide money for private lessons to middle and high school students in La Porte County. It serves to honor Chuck and Mary Steck for investing more than 80 years in the LCSO.
“All of the proceeds from today’s event go to this fund,” Dr. Rima Binder, Friendship Botanic Gardens board of directors president and LCSO board member said. “He and his wife were members of the symphony for a very long time. They formed this fund once they retired and it helps out kids that need instruments or lessons.”
Another point of emphasis for this concert was to engage the audience with some classics that can touch the hearts of everybody.
“For many people, this concert is an introduction to the arts and music in this way,” Binder said. “Our conductor, Dr. Carolyn Watson, does a great job at making musical selections that the crowd always loves. There’s a very diverse group of people here today and that’s what makes it so special.”
Binder was pleased with the exceptional turnout for this performance. She hopes that this can open the door for more people to explore both the orchestra and the garden more often in the future.
One person who agrees with the notion of bringing more light to both is Marcia Kozelka. As a volunteer at the Friendship Botanic Gardens every Monday morning, Kozelka believes this is a space that people love. Evenings such as when the LCSO pays a visit are some of her biggest reasons for that belief.
“This is a great space that we bring our family to and go for walks,” Kozelka said. “There’s an area for the kids with a whole playground setup as well. Hopefully, a lot of the first-time attendees will enjoy the concert and want to come back to the garden. It’s a lovely space, and we need to take care of it.”
For more information on the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra, you can visit its website.