St. Charles man 'heart and soul' of Elgin symphony
Sterling "Stu" Ainsworth is an unassuming guy whose volunteer work is not aimed at public recognition, yet ends up in the limelight because he deserves it, those who know him say.
Ainsworth, 84, of St. Charles, was named 2017 Volunteer of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras for his contributions to the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.
He was so instrumental in developing ESO's education initiatives that its yearly, low-cost concert series for schoolchildren was renamed "Ainsworth Concerts for Youth," ESO Chief Executive Officer David Bearden said.
"Volunteers are the heart and soul of any organization, or any nonprofit ... and in his case, he truly is," Bearden said.
Ainsworth, who has served on the ESO board since 2002, always has kind words for others; he shows genuine interest in them, and even volunteers as an usher during concerts, Bearden said. "His physical presence says so much," he said.
Ainsworth said he truly enjoys helping youths discover the world of classical music.
"The whole purpose of this is to show them that there is something existing out there other than rap and rock, and teaching them the different instruments," he said, "so when they hear an orchestra they can pick out the flute from the violin and the cello."
Ainsworth lived in Elgin for 35 years until he and his late wife, Tamar, moved to St. Charles in the mid-1990s.
He also serves on the board of Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra and Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame and is a member of the St. Charles Arts Council. He is a past member of the St. Charles cultural commission and the now-defunct Elgin Opera, and he has helped organize the annual American Grands performance at the Blizzard Theatre at Elgin Community College.
Ainsworth grew up on a farm in Iowa, where he learned to play the piano and clarinet and performed with local bands until he put music aside to focus on work and college, he said.
He had a career in agriculture disease and weed control, raised four sons and amassed a collection of classical records. But he had no direct involvement with music until he retired and started volunteering for ESO. "It was a little bit like going back and meeting with an old friend," he said.
It's also been a great learning experience, largely thanks to ESO Music Director Andrew Grams, Ainsworth said. "He's excellent in the sense of giving people - on stage and in the audience - an excellent understanding of the music that is being played."
Ainsworth sang until about two years ago with Elgin Master Chorale - for which he served as president for a time - until he was diagnosed with melanoma in his right eye. He had radiation treatment, which damaged his optic nerve and made it difficult to read the score, he explained.
Nonetheless, he plans to get back on stage in July, when he and other Elgin Master Chorale members will travel to Massachusetts to perform with Berkshire Choral International. "I am hoping that I can read the score well enough to go along," he said.
A true highlight was conducting the song "This Christmastide" - a special one, because it was a favorite of Tamar's - during an holiday concert in December featuring ESO and the Elgin Master Chorale. The song's composer, his longtime friend Donald Fraser, was in the audience.
"That," Ainsworth said, "was probably the most thrilling experience I had in my life,"