THE SOCIAL SCENE

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Zehra Sun, Jackie Corby (the field representative for Senator Jack Scott), Vivian Chan, Linda Lo, Carl Moy, chairman of United Charity Foundation, Kathy Duba, and Percy Clark

Standing: Steve Yang, from China Airlines, Masa Chen, Jeffrey Lo, Lee Baca, and Carl Moy, chairman of
United Charity Foundation. Seated: Mrs. Steve Yang,
Mrs. Wei, wife of Director General of Taipei Economic
and Cultural Office, Los Angeles, Linda Lo, Mrs. Lee Baca,
and Zehra Sun.

When Linda Lo, a founding Board member of the United Charity Foundation, was asked to host an event to help raise funds for two education programs sponsored by The Pasadena Symphony – the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra (PYSO) and TEMPO! a program bringing music to 2,500 1st and 2nd grade children in the Pasadena Unified School District – she didn’t hesitate.
"The United Charity Foundation is a group of friends who get together to do some good deeds," Lo explained as she welcomed over 300 guests to her home on Saturday, April 30. "And I can’t think of a worthier cause than helping send an orchestra of talented middle school aged musicians on an East Coast tour to Carnegie Hall."
The Pasadena Symphony is not the first organi-zation the United Charity Foundation has worked with  to  advance  a  worthy  cause.  In  the  past 

members of the organization have joined various community-wide efforts to raise funds for the Chinese Garden at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, the San Marino Public Library, and a medical retirement home in Chinatown.
But, this year, the United Charity Foundation turned its efforts toward increasing funding for music education programs sponsored by The Pasadena Symphony at the urging of fellow Board member Vivian Chan.
"Music can connect people in a way that words can’t," said Chan, who is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Pasadena Symphony and chairman of its Education Committee.  "Music is truly a universal language."
Many community activists within the San Gabriel Valley obviously shared Chan’s belief in the power of music. Honorary Chairmen for the "On the Road Again" benefit included: U.S. Congressmen David Drier and Adam Schiff; Carol Liu, California Assemblywoman; California State Senator Jack Scott; Mike Antonovich, Los Angeles County Supervisor; Lee Baca, Los Angeles County Sheriff; Bill Bogaard, Mayor of Pasadena; Dr. Matthew Lin, Vice Mayor of San Marino; Percy Clark,

Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent; Jonathon Glus, Executive Director for the Arts, City of Pasadena; Denise Nelson Nash of Caltech Presents; and the Women’s Committee of The Pasadena Symphony.
Also in attendance at the event were several members of the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, including President Doris Christy and Benefit Chairman Jennifer Johnson. The Showcase House for the Arts (PSHA), currently taking place Tuesdays through Sundays until May 15, shares the United Charity Foundation’s belief in supporting music education programs. PSHA recently awarded a grant to The Pasadena Symphony supporting its TEMPO! program.
Said Barbara Steinwedell, President of the Board of Directors of The Pasadena Symphony, "We’re very grateful that so many members of our community have joined forces with us in our quest to keep our education programs ‘on the road’ to success."

Guests attending "On the Road Again" had a chance to hear for themselves just how successful the PYSO program has become. During cocktails, a double string quartet led by PYSO Music Director Jack Taylor serenaded them by the pool.
Later, after dinner on the tennis court catered by Maison Akira, members of PYSO presented a program that included a flute solo, a harp solo, and a Mozart-esque rendition of Willie Nelson’s "On the Road Again," especially arranged for the evening by pianist and Pasadena Symphony musician Alan Steinberger. Renowned Er-Hu virtuoso, composer and vocalist Karen Han also performed.
The evening’s program included a live auction as well. Dancing followed, with music provided by The Baby Dolls. 
 

  "We like to have a lot of fun at our events," said Zehra Sun, who is also a founding Board member of the United Charity Foundation and co-chairman of the capital campaign for the San Marino Public Library. "But we never forget that our first responsibility is to give back to the community that has given so much to us. This is a wonderful area in which to live, do business and raise a family."
Established in 1928, The Pasadena Symphony is committed to providing orchestral performances of the highest quality and to benefiting the community through its music, education and outreach programs.
Now in its 32nd year, the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra is widely acknowledged as one of the best youth orchestras in the state. The ensemble of talented middle school students from grades six through nine from throughout Southern California has garnered such awards as Best All-Around Performance and Best Radio Broadcast at the International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna and the Festival Honor Award for Best Concert Performance at the National Adjudicators Invitation in Washington D.C.
        But before a child can perform in an orchestra, that student must first be exposed to music. The Pasadena Symphony has collaborated with the Pasadena Unified School District to develop TEMPO! – a curriculum-based program bringing live music performances to 1st and 2nd grade students at 12 schools throughout the district.
To learn more about PYSO, TEMPO! and other educational outreach programs sponsored by The Pasadena Symphony, call (626) 793-7172, extension 18 or visit the orchestra’s website, at www.pasadenasymphony.org.
The Pasadena Symphony performs monthly, October through May, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, located at 300 East Green Street in Pasadena. To order tickets to the 2004-2005 season finale concert on May 14, at 8 p.m., featuring Mahler’s "Titan," call the box office at (626) 584-8833.

Standing: Zehra Sun, James Nash, Dr. Matthew Lin, vice mayor of San Marino, Linda Lo, Vivian Chan, Jennifer Tsai, and Mimi Tsai. Seated: Denise Nelson-Nash, Jack Rose (Superintendent of San Marino Unified School District), wife Christine Rose, Dr. Percy Clark, and Kathy Duba, Assistant Superintendent, PUSD.

Hubert Yen, husband of Teresa Yen, member of Pasadena Symphony Board of Directors, Dr. Cathy Wei (USC and PCC professor), April Kuen (Manager of LA TV Channel 18), Zehra Sun, Dr. Matthew Lin, Vice Mayor of San Marino, Linda Lo, Vivian Chan, Teresa Yen, Fran Biles (former President of Showcase House and current member of Pasadena Symphony Board of Directors) and Daniel Biles, Fran ’ s husband. Seated: James Blackburn, Martha Blackburn, Mayor Bill Bogaard of Pasadena, Dr. Shapley Chen, and Francis Chen