OVI Recognizes Mary Earl for Her Opera Efforts
Chattanooga, Tenn. – Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Guild member Mary Earl recently received the Opera Volunteers International Partners in Excellence Award which honors member organizations’ most valuable volunteers. The award recognizes individuals for their exceptional contribution to opera and honors support groups for completing outstanding projects and attaining special goals.
“I feel receiving the esteemed Partners in Excellence Award is especially important because you must be nominated by your Guild President, CSO Board Chair and the CSO Executive Director. This is the highest award given to volunteers and I am very honored to receive it,” said Earl.
Mary Earl has been active in the CSO Guild for nearly 20 years, and has served in many different capacities including the role of President from 1995-1997. She is currently serving on the CSOG Board as Opera Volunteers International Representative and on the Opera Volunteers International Board as Chair of Grants.
“I enjoy working with the CSO Guild because of the dedication of the members and the wonderful things that are accomplished,” she said. “Since serving on the OVI Board, I have been able to work with guilds all over the country and Canada, and I know the CSOG is one of the most accomplished groups I have seen.”
Earl believes that being part of such a successful Guild means the quality of life in Chattanooga is greater. “More children have been exposed to music that would not have been available to them without our wonderful education programs. Helping to make music and especially opera more available has been truly been one of the joys of my life,” she continued.
Mary Earl feels that her greatest accomplishment while working with the CSO Guild is the establishment of the annual Vocal Competition and watching it grow throughout the years. “After the 10th year, many of the winners came back to celebrate with us. The stories we heard about how winning the competition and how their lives have changed because of it, is especially important to me,” she said. “Three years ago, I began funding the Mary Earl Award to encourage young singers to continue to pursue a career in singing. We will be entering our 15th year when the competition is held in 2009. The Vocal Competition will always be special to me.”
Earl has served on the OVI Board for 10 years, and has had the opportunity to travel and to enjoy opera in a special way and at many locations during that time. “I am proud to tell people I meet while traveling with OVI of the many successes CSOG has achieved. We are not the largest group, but have been able to contribute more money to our company than much larger ones, and our education programs are among the best.”
Originally written here:
http://www.chattanoogasymphony.org/index.cfm?pageID=currentNews&recNbr=305
