Lake Forest Symphony executive director to leave in March

Submitted by Lake Forest Symphony

Lake Forest Symphony recently announced that Executive Director Susan Lape will step down from her role March 1.

Lape has served the symphony for over four years, during which the organization appointed acclaimed Music Director Vladimir Kulenovic and created significant new educational and community offerings. She will assume the role of executive director of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras.

Stewart Kerr, a longtime resident of Lake Forest and an experienced nonprofit leader, has been appointed board president and will lead the search for a new executive director.

"I am so proud of all we have accomplished together at the Lake Forest Symphony," Lape said. "It was an honor to serve at the helm of this organization during such an exciting time in its history. I will miss our LFS musicians, board, and staff and am so grateful to all who have contributed to our efforts over the past four seasons."

Lape was appointed executive director of the Lake Forest Symphony in September 2012. During her tenure, Lake Forest Symphony and WFMT Radio Network produced an audio documentary titled "The Search," detailing the symphony's international search for a new music director. Last fall she was selected as one of nine participants in the League of American Orchestras' Emerging Leaders Program, the organization's flagship leadership development program. In 2014, Lape was named "Executive Director of the Year" by the Illinois Council of Orchestras.

"Susan's leadership has positioned us extremely well for the future," Kerr said. "We now have a diverse range of programming which will serve our community through music for many decades to come."

Kerr is the executive director of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce. He is a retired banker who lives in Lake Forest with his wife Marcy. He retired as the senior Illinois executive for Wisconsin-based Associated Trust Co. after serving in similar positions in Michigan and Ohio. He is a former board chair of Milwaukee Ballet Co.

Celebrating 59 years, the Lake Forest Symphony is the only fully professional orchestra in Lake County. The orchestra, named Illinois Orchestra of the Year in 2006 by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, presents five concert pairs in Classical Series which regularly feature both prominent guest artists and emerging young musicians. Innovative outreach programs reach thousands of schoolchildren throughout Northern Illinois each year that provide an introduction to classical music for grade school students and unique performance opportunities for students in high school and college. For further information, call (847) 295-2135 or visit www.lakeforestsymphony.org.

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