The Lakes Area Music Festival connects the nation’s best performers and audiences through excellent classical music and inspiring education.
ABOUT
Mission
Vision
The Lakes Area Music Festival is a thriving worldwide hub for classical music and a force for broad and sustained development in central Minnesota.
Core Values
EXCELLENCE. Touching the hearts, minds, and souls of audiences through the intrinsic quality that defines master artists.
RADICAL HOSPITALITY. Eliminating economic, geographic, and demographic barriers that often make classical music inaccessible, while bringing artists into central Minnesota to foster inclusive dialogue and lasting relationships.
SUSTAINABILITY. Ensuring that the Lakes Area Music Festival will be a long-term catalyst for positive change within our greater community.
History
Alexander Peña, Scott Lykins, and Taylor Ward.
The Lakes Area Music Festival (LAMF) was established during the summer of 2009 when co-founding Artistic & Executive Director Scott Lykins returned to his hometown of Brainerd, Minnesota with four colleagues from the Eastman School of Music (Rochester, New York). In an effort to create an outlet for their musical gifts, these musicians put on six free concerts, and enlisted members of the Minnesota and St. Paul Chamber Orchestras to participate. Each concert drew successively larger audiences, which encouraged the series organizers to continue the event annually. Based on the community’s demonstrated interest in and desire for musical enrichment, the festival programming has expanded year to year offering a packed three week calendar of musical activities for a wide and diversifying audience.
Each season performances range from chamber music to symphonic orchestra to opera, performed by a stellar collaborative roster including over 140 musicians from such ensembles and conservatories such as the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, New World Symphony, Metropolitan Opera, Minnesota Opera, Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, Curtis Institute, and more. In addition, educational opportunities are offered for audiences of all ages – including a week-long daycamp for children, performance-based instruction for high school students, open rehearsals, and pre-concert lectures.
Beginning during the 2016 season with support from the Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation, LAMF furthered it’s reach into the community through its Outreach program – bringing classical music into area nursing homes, correctional facilities, women’s shelters and more.
Staff
SCOTT LYKINS. Executive and Artistic Director.
JOHN TAYLOR WARD. Associate Artistic Director.
ALEXANDER PEÑA. Explore Music! Director.
MELISSA KAUFENBERG. Development Director.
ALICE RITTER. Finance Administrator.
SUE JOHNSON. Grant Writer.
Seasonal staff:
HANNAH BURCHILL. Digital Manager.
AVA FIGLIUZZI. Artistic & Personnel Intern.
MICHAEL BAUER. Operations & Production Intern.
Volunteer Coordinators & Committees
JOHN INGLEMAN & GERVAISE WILHELM. Development Committee.
JULIE INGLEMAN, MATT KILIAN, BOB MCLEAN, MARK RONNEI, JIM STORM. Think-Tank Committee.
KRIS MCGRATH. Public Relations.
THALIA DUFFIELD, BETSY EGAN, ARLA JOHNSON, DIANE ROOK-JOHNSON. Musician Housing.
TOM LILLEHEI. Transportation.
SHERRI DELAHUNT, JANI MOE, EVELYN SONNICHSEN, PAT YOUNGHANS. Musician Concert Snacks.
CINDY BERGREN, CLAIRE FAUST, BONNIE AND LYNN OLSON. Musician Lunches – Brainerd.
SHARON INGVOLSTAD, EMELIE AUGUSTIN. Musician Lunches – Nisswa.
EMELIE AUGUSTIN, BETTY BRUNING, DIANE EITRHEIM, JOANNA PIERCE, NELIA SCIOLI, JEAN SHERMOCK. Musician Dinners.
RUTH EGSTAD. Ticketing.
CHARLOTTE GOEDSCHE. Ushers.
Board of Directors
DAVID BORAN. Chair
Family Physician (Semi-Retired), Chief Medical Officer (Emeritus), Essentia Health | Professional Freelance Photographer | Board Member, St. Francis Catholic School Foundation
LESLIE ZANDER. Vice Chair
Middle School Strings Teacher, Brainerd Public Schools | Concertmaster, Heartland Symphony Orchestra
KAREN FORD. Secretary
Board Secretary, League of Woman Voters, Brainerd Lakes Area | Member, Legacy Chorale of Greater Minnesota
MARY FARMER. Treasurer
General Partner, Tax Preparer, Nisswa Tax Service | Former Board Member, Various Non-Profits and Civic Organizations
ROMA DUNCAN.
Flute/Piccolo, Minnesota Orchestra
CHERYL KARLGAARD.
Music Educator (retired), Brainerd School District | Church Organist/Pianist (retired) | Member, Legacy Chorale of Greater MN | Director, Park Forest Chorus (Englewood, FL)
PATTY NORGAARD.
President, Crosslake Economic Development | Retired, Wells Fargo, Sales and Marketing | Brainerd Regional Airport Marketing Commission | Crosslake Park and Recreation Commission
CLAIRE RUD.
Violinist, Heartland Symphony Orchestra | Member, The Crossing Arts Alliance
CAROL RUSSELL.
CEO and Founding Partner, Russell Herder | Board Member, Several Minnesota Non-Profit Organizations
CHRIS RUTTGER.
President, Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge | Past Chair, Hospitality Minnesota
CHUCK SCHOTZKO.
Physician (retired), Past Board Member, Chief of Staff, and Medical Director, Riverwood Healthcare Center | Clinical Professor, University of Minnesota Medical School | Member, Aitkin County Friends of the Arts, Jacques Art Center
DON WENNBERG.
Surgeon, Medical Director (Retired), Brainerd Medical Center | Board Member, Heartland Symphony
MARY ANNE BENNETT. Board Member Emeritus
Member (Former), Minnesota Governor’s Commission on the Arts | Board Member, Nisswa-Stamman Scandinavian Folk Music Festival | Cellist, Heartland Symphony Orchestra