A generous grant for a golden year

The Lake Forest Symphony has received a $1 million grant from a longtime supporter.

The gift, announced during the symphony's Golden Anniversary Gala to mark its 50th season, was donated by Howard A. Stotler of Lake Forest.

Pat Nissen, the symphony's director of marketing, said Stotler is an arts patron and former opera singer.

"He just really believes in the organization and has associated with us many years," Nissen said. "He's always been a generous individual when it comes to the arts and has been generous with us before. He just felt the 50th anniversary of the symphony was a perfect time for a large donation."

She said Stotler is a retired commodities trader who has appeared in numerous operas, including "Parcifal."

The donation will be placed in the Lake Forest Symphony Endowment Fund and held in trust and managed by the Chicago Community Trust. Interest money will be distributed to the symphony semiannually to help offset the annual cost of operations.

The goal of the donation is to ensure the group's financial viability into the future.

"Not-for-profit organizations like this one always have a gap between the amount of revenue and the amount of donations brought in," said symphony director of development Stephanie Trautwein. "This money would help us in that regard."

She said revenue comes to the symphony through concert ticket sales, annual fund donations and participation in their music school.

The organization was named Illinois Orchestra of the Year in 2006 by the Illinois Council of Orchestras. That honor came one year after music director Alan Heatherington was named Illinois Conductor of the Year.

The symphony concert season is performed at the James Lumber Center on the College of Lake County campus in Grayslake.

The anniversary season repertoire focuses on classical favorites from past seasons, including Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9," Dvorak's "New World Symphony," Brahms' "Piano Concerto No. 1" and Bach's "Violin Concerto," to name a few.

Trautwein said there has been no recent discussion of raising funds for their own concert hall at this time.

"The endowment is specifically for operating expenses," she said. "We are always exploring ways to come back to Lake Forest, but at this time, don't have any concert hall plans in the works."

For information on the symphony or to buy tickets, visit the Web site at www.lakeforestsymphony.org.