Gold, Again: ISO Guilds Earn National and Statewide Honors

The past twelve months have been a banner year for the volunteer organizations that sustain the Illinois Symphony Orchestra — and that work has now been recognized on both the national and state stages.

The ISO Guild of Springfield received the Gold Award of Excellence from the League of American Orchestras for its electronic newsletter, the Guild Gazette. The publication was redesigned by Donald Tallman, and ISO Board President Dan Brownstone presented the award-winning work at this year's LAO Annual Conference in Baltimore. The Guild Gazette now stands as a model for how orchestras communicate with their communities.  It's informative, beautifully produced, and  read by a wider community.

Springfield wasn't the only Guild bringing home gold from the LAO. The year before, in Salt Lake City, Elaine Cousins took the stage at the 2025 LAO conference to present on the ISO Guild of Bloomington-Normal's role in the ISO Concert for Kids and the New York Gala. Both of these projects were recognized with the Gold Award of Excellence.

And in 2026, the honors continued closer to home: the ISO Guild of Bloomington-Normal was named Guild of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, a recognition of sustained excellence, community impact, and the kind of volunteer commitment that simply cannot be manufactured. The award was presented at the Guild's Annual Meeting in May. Elaine Cousins prepared the nomination submission.

Kudos to our Guilds and the dedicated volunteers who share their time and talents in support of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra!