Cincinnati Civic Orchestra
Founded 1929
Administration
Laurence Bonhaus, Music Director
Maestro Lawrence Bonhaus has conducted over 100 concerts with the orchestra, an achievement never before reached in the history of the Cincinnati Civic Orchestra - dating back to 1929. Larry was the concertmaster when the orchestra selected him as conductor in the summer of 1985. He has performed with the orchestra for over twenty years, previously serving as Principal Second Violin, Chairman of the Board of Directors and soloist.
Through his leadership, the orchestra has grown from a regular concert season averaging twenty five musicians and fifty concert attendees to a full eighty member symphony orchestra and audiences exceeding eight hundred. Larry considers the orchestra's Summer Pops series to be his most significant contribution. More than 6500 have attended concerts in one season. Performances have been staged at Sawyer Point, Blue Ash, Loveland and Seasongood Pavilion, annually as well as one or two others at various locations in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region. These concerts have brought the orchestra many new friends, featuring the best of light classical, Broadway, and popular music in exciting concert arrangements scored for full symphony orchestra.
The majority of Larry's musical training was under the late Eric Kahlson, Principal Violinist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Conductor of the Lexington Symphony. Larry also studied with the late Sigmond Effron, CSO Concertmaster and was privileged to work with the late Max Rudolf during the years he conducted in Cincinnati. Larry considers it a great honor to share his musical training and experience with the new generation of musicians.
The orchestra is a Bonhaus family affair. Larry met his wife Hildy, Principal Cellist in the orchestra.. His father Al, and mother Mary, recently deceased, are founding members of the "Friends of the Cincinnati Civic Orchestra Committee" and have been faithful concert goers.
Apart from the orchestra Larry is an attorney specializing in architectural, construction and real estate law. He graduated form the University of Cincinnati with an honors degree in Architecture and received his Jurist Doctorate from the Cincinnati College of Law. He is also active in supporting energy conservation as president of the Ohio Solar Energy Association.
L:arry makes time in his busy schedule to conduct and perform a variety of local community musical events. Larry's two favorite hobbies are collecting U.S. postage stamps and trains, both the model railroad he's is building with his son, Andrew, and traveling cross country with Hildy on Amtrak.
Maestro Bonhaus believes that what is most important is
for everyone to have fun while making music. He is an active participant in
having a good time and was instrumental in starting such orchestra traditions
as the annual family picnic and member recognition rehearsal. Part of the
orchestra's fun is sharing the music with as wide and diverse an audience as
possible. Larry feels that the after concert receptions are a very important way of letting the audience enjoy not just
the music, but also the musicians. The motto Larry chose for the orchestra best
shows his philosophy, "Great Music, Great Fun".
Assistant Conductor
Edward Howard
Chairperson
Nik Donges
Treasurer
Hildy Bonhaus
Secretary
Dexter Denney
Social Director
Pam Lance
Reception Director
Dona Littlefield
Librarian
Jill Wilkey and Cicely Tingle
Publicity Director
Sally Motz
Historian
Anne Hunter Akers
Director
of Artistic Affairs
Darrell Shafer
Section
Members at large
Gifford Blaylock, Janet Kassalen, Bill Thompson, and Derrell Proctor.
Vicki Moseley
Concertmaster Emeritus
Ephraim Roth
Concertmaster
Pamela E. Gaylor
Head Usher
Lisa Mamas
Recording Engineer
Ted Motz
Trustees
Nik Donges, Hildy Bonhaus, Jill Wilkey
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Johann Strauss "Radetzky March"
sequenced by Dan Szymborski . used with
permission.