THSO Recognizes Karen Dyer & Tonya Balch with Gift of Music Award
Karen Dyer and Tonya Balch received THSO’s prestigious Gift of Music Award on June 5, 2022. Photo by Sophie Morgan.
[Terre Haute, IN] – On June 5 at the beautiful historic home of Drs. Thomas & Norma Schmitz, the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra (THSO) awarded its prestigious Gift of Music Award to Karen Dyer and Tonya Balch for their invaluable contributions to the musical arts in our community. The Gift of Music Award acknowledges extraordinary contributions and accomplishments of Wabash Valley community members in support of the THSO.
A passion for music, an instinct for how culture lifts a city, and a commitment to leadership are qualities shared by the THSO’s 2022 Gift of Music honorees. Both were influential presidents of the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra’s Board of Directors, yet view themselves, humbly, as part of a larger collective of individuals dedicated to the orchestra. Entrusted with position during challenging times, Karen and Tonya were transformative, propelling the symphony toward its current renaissance within Terre Haute’s arts community.
Music is a persistent thread in their lives. Tonya described a house full of music growing up; her mother was the pianist in their church, and she also plays. Karen discovered the clarinet in grade school and continued with it beyond high school, performing in the Marshall city band. These seeds of early music were part of their gravitation toward work with the symphony.
Photo by Sophie Morgan.
Photo by Sophie Morgan.
Karen, board member and president in the early 2000s, is excited to see the prominence of the symphony amid the burgeoning arts culture in Terre Haute. She sees orchestral music as part of “the heart and soul of the city.” “There is just something about a live musical performance that is so vital; it reverberates through a person, makes a physical connection,” she observed.
Tonya, the Board’s current past president, is also adamant about the symphony’s role: “Terre Haute has such a rich history as a crossroads city, and this symphony has long been a part of that. I am passionate about sustaining and strengthening that legacy.” She believed in the orchestra when its success and impact were not so apparent and is excited by its future. “I’m simply awed by the energy of the current orchestra and its director, and was inspired, even through the pandemic, at how much the power of music could be conveyed,” she says.
The Terre Haute Symphony, a regional orchestra in a mid-sized city, has faced numerous obstacles – fiscal peril, reduced performances, difficult personnel choices - but has ultimately emerged stronger. Karen brought strategic planning and fundraising experience during the financial turbulence surrounding the Great Recession and focused on building partnerships and modernizing the orchestra’s communication. At times, she and Artistic Director David Bowden ran the organization as volunteers, with Karen serving as marketer, manager, and analyst. Tonya’s expertise in educational leadership led her to make analytical decisions, one of which was to unleash Bowden’s passion to build programming that would engage the city. Her sure hand guided the orchestra through the pandemic to its current stability and musical prowess.
How rewarding to witness the culmination of so much dedication for these awardees - a mature orchestra, bristling with talented players, guided by the inspired hand of Bowden. A true masterwork on display.
Photos by Sophie Morgan.
