Mission:
To ensure the continued existence of major symphony orchestras in North America through volunteerism.
STANDING OVATION AWARD RECIPIENTS
2026
AMSOV is excited to announce its Standing Ovation Award recipients for 2026.
These four individuals epitomize the mission and values of AMSOV. Each has a long and rich history of volunteerism in support of her symphony orchestra and volunteer organization.
We applaud each one of them. They are shining examples of what we're all about.
Sheri Gill
Los Angeles Philharmonic Peninsula Committee
Sheri Gill has been an enthusaistic volunteer for the Los Angeles Philharmonic for over 40 years, joining the Peninsula Committee, one of its volunteer associations, in 1985. For the Peninsula Committee she chaired the Music Fair in 1991. In 1992 she became the chairman of the Committee. She was the chair of Encore, a past presidents committee, in 1998-99. She was on the Affiliate board and was Affiliate Chair from 2014-16. In 2017 she chaired the AMSOV Conference in Los Angeles. She served as the President of AMSOV from 2017-19.
Sheri remained on the Affiliate Board in Los Angeles until 2025. She is now the unofficial advisor to the Affiliate Board President. Sheri continues to provide words of wisdom to the next generation of affiliates and volunteers. Her dedication and commitment inspire all around her. She was recently given a special recognition by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for her exceptional contributions.
Tracey Hawkins
Kansas City Symphony Alliance
Tracey Hawkins served on the Board of the KC Symphony Alliance for over 20 years, including as President. For many years she was the Public Relations Vice President, and helped generate attendance by as many as as 10,000 individuals to visit the Designers’ Showhouse. The project grew enormously as a popular fundraiser during those years, providing significant funds for the Kansas City Symphony.
During the initial years of social media, Tracey influenced the organization to be one of the first to use such now-basic tools as Constant Contact, Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites. Tracey has also worked hard to modernize the Alliance’s two websites, one for general Alliance activities and the other dedicate to the Designers’ Showhouse.
Tracey also has a significant national career in the field of security for real estate agents and was a speaker at the Toronto Conference in 2026.
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Mike Minor
Kansas City Symphony Alliance
Mike Minor has been a key volunteer for the Kansas City Symphony for nearly 25 years. His volunteer work for the Kansas City Symphony began around 2003 when he joined the Friends of the Kansas City Symphony, which ran the Symphony gift shop and conducted various other fund raising activities and educational programs. He was President of the Friends of the Kansas City Symphony from 2005-2007. He recruited many new members to that group, including several future leaders.
In 2010 the Friends of the Symphony merged with another auxiliary organization, the KC Symphony Alliance, an organization which until shortly before that time was restricted to women members only. Following the merger of the two organizations in 2010 Mike became active in KC Symphony Alliance and served in a number of leadership capacities, including as President in 2017-18.
Mike’s career was in computer technology with Verizon and he has been the “go to” technical expert for KC Symphony Alliance for years. He has solved many a technical problem and trained many other people on the computer skills needed to run the organization. He created the KC Symphony Alliance web site and still serves as a technical advisor when needed. Mike manages the Symphony Designers’ Showhouse website and was the chair of the Designers’ Showhouse Committee in 2024 (a huge job) and worked tirelessly for the success of the project.
Mike is currently running the KC Symphony Alliance computerized volunteer management system. He is willing to do anything and everything for the organization, including sweeping the floors and helping to move chairs and boxes from our storage cage. He does all of this with a smile and consistent good cheer.
Mike also an AMSOV Conference in Kansas City in 2013 and was the AMSOV President from 2013-15.
Patricia Wagner
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Patricia (Patty) Wagner started volunteering for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in September 1991 when then Pops conductor, Erich Kunzel, started the volunteer group Friends of the Pops. She worked on numerous committees and eventually chaired several of them. She co-hosted the Annual Riverbend Boatride and after party for 15 years (Riverbend is the orchestra’s summer venue). Patty became president of the Friends of the Pops in 1999.
In 1998 Patty also started volunteering with the Cincinnati Symphony Volunteer Association mainly working on the Parties of Note fundraising committee, co-hosted several parties and served as chair for 2 years. She served as CSVA Secretary for 2 years and became CSVA president in 2015. She served on Orchestra’s Board of Directors for 2 years.
After retiring in 2008, Patty worked weekly as an office volunteer in the Cincinnati Orchestra’s office. For the Cincinnati Symphony ’s 125 th Anniversary she and 3 other volunteers, working with CSO staff, built a Visual Time-Line of the Orchestra’s highlights for the past 125 years.
Patty co-sponsored the 2024 Cincinnati Pops Christmas album Joy! She is also one of the sponsors of Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey. The concert was recorded live in the Cincinnati Music Hall and viewed nationwide on PBS.
Patty received the Voices of Giving from the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council for both financial and volunteer contributions. Patty also received the National Philanthropy Day Award for Volunteerism from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Cincinnati Chapter.
Linda Weisbruch
Charlotte Symphony Guild
Music has been the mainstay of Linda Weisbruch’s volunteerism outside of her 30-year corporate career. She has served the Charlotte Symphony through The Symphony Guild of Charlotte. Over the years, her roles have included: President, Designer House Chair, Heart of the Home Tour co-chair, Treasurer, VP of Membership, VP of Marketing, VP of Education and VP of Administration.
She currently co-chairs The Guild’s longest running project, the Young Artists Competition. This concerto competition for area secondary school musicians, ages 12 -18, was created in 1955 in partnership with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and celebrated 70 years in 2025.
She managed the end-to-end experience including securing judges, location, volunteers, the application process, awards and partnership with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Linda was instrumental in the launch of the Symphony Guild of Charlotte’s website and designed all of the logos, including the 75th Anniversary logo .