This year’s annual meeting, ably chaired by Andrea McCue, was held at the St. Paul Pool and Yacht Club on June 2, 2025. We elected new board members Lynn Johnson, Ruthann Ritchie and Lisa Casserly Taplin, and thanked retiring board members Karen Koepp, Annette Conklin, Andrea McCue, and Mary McDiarmid.
Our guests included the University of Minnesota Archivist Katelyn Morken , who spoke about the Friends collection in the Performing Arts Archives at the University’s Andersen Library on the West Bank campus.
Several very generous donors have contributed their collections to the Performing Arts Archives in the 2024-25 year. Mark Thompson, his wife Kim, and their family donated the papers of Lola May Thompson, an early president of the Friends, a valuable trove of history for us. Thank you, Mark and Kim and family, for sharing your treasures.
In addition, Joan Gacki and Linda van Dooijewert donated photos and papers from their time on the board of the Friends to the Archives, and Annette Conklin donated her papers from the Friends’ Youth Chamber Music Competition. Thank you all!
We also welcomed Walker West music educator Earl Ross, who partners with the SPCO and Musicians to bring his string students a collaborative experience. The Friends love working with Earl!
Daniel Freeman was recognized for his contributions to the Friends as a tour guide on frequent musical journeys and his leadership of the Freeman Lectures for the Friends.
Our SPCO trumpet player liaison and great friend Lynn Erickson is retiring this year, and we thanked her for her friendship and fun times over the years. Good luck to you as you embark on your next journey, Lynn.
Finally, we presented retiring CEO Jon Limbacher with a gift certificate and the promise of a Memory Book as he concludes his time at the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Jon and his wife, Patty, a former board member, have been great Friends, and we are grateful for their work on behalf of music and music education, and their personal advocacy for our mission. They will be staying in St. Paul so we hope to see them frequently. Thank you, Jon and Patty!