Assistant Concertmaster Chair Now Endowed!
A Message from Pacific Symphony President, John Forsyte
I am so pleased to announce the newest endowment of a Pacific Symphony musician’s chair. Board of Director member Judy Whitmore has agreed to endow, in perpetuity, the Assistant Concertmaster Chair, held by the distinguished violinist Jeanne Skrocki. Judy’s family history aligns so beautifully with this gift as her grandfather was the great Hollywood studio violinist Sam Fiedler. Sam’s father and grandfather were both violinists in Poland. This multi-generational history of violinists aligned with Jeanne’s own family history. It’s a wonderful story best summed up by the quote Jeanne provided:
“I am both proud and honored to occupy the newly endowed Arlene and Seymour Grubman Assistant Concertmaster Chair in Pacific Symphony. I feel many emotions, knowing that this has brought someone very special into my life, not just the life of Pacific Symphony—Judy Whitmore. I am so inspired by her passion and enthusiasm for Pacific Symphony and especially her love of the violin. This endowment is personally meaningful as we have become acquainted and have realized how many similarities we have in our lives—I am the middle of three generations of violinists, and Judy has three generations of violinists on her mother’s side. We both have our pilot’s license. We have both pursued other careers besides music. We even grew up in the same geographical area, the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles! I look forward to a lasting and meaningful relationship, both personally and for Pacific Symphony.”
You may recall that Judy has a multi-faceted career: real estate management, jet pilot, cabaret singer, theatrical producer and best-selling author! Judy was thrilled to learn about all the remarkable qualities and history that Jeanne possesses. We, therefore, announce the creation of The Arlene and Seymour Grubman Assistant Concertmaster Chair.
If you don’t know Jeanne’s history, she has been in the orchestra for 27 years and 26 as Assistant Concertmaster. Her bio on the Pacific Symphony website can be found here.
We extend congratulations to Jeanne and a heartfelt THANK YOU to Judy!
~ John Forsyte
This generous endowment does not surprise me. I have known and admired Judy and her many talents for years and believe she will gain such comfort from knowing her parents will be remembered in this way.