“The executive director of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra has won national recognition,” writes Jodi Schwan in Tuesday’s (6/30) Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, S.D.). “Jennifer Boomgaarden is the recipient of the Helen M. Thompson Award from the League of American Orchestras, an honor that recognizes exceptional leadership, dedication and accomplishment. The award is given to orchestra managers and music directors in alternate years. It is named for Helen Thompson, who advanced and promoted orchestras nationwide…. Boomgaarden, who has led the symphony since 2010, has charted it on a path to financial stability. ‘We’ve made some great strides,’ she said. ‘We’ve now paid off our debt 2 1/2 years early, which is really an incredible thing, and made a significant change in the net assets of the organization.’ The orchestra is blossoming, she said. It served 15,000 students last year and started a new residency program to place its core musicians in each of the Sioux Falls high schools …. The symphony’s vision centers around service to the community, Boomgaarden said…. ‘One of the things you’ll really start to see is this organization really throwing open its doors inside and outside the concert hall,’ she said.”
Posted July 7, 2015
