Annual Report 2025-2026
A message from our Artistic Director “We have seasons when we flourish and seasons when the leaves fall from us, revealing our bare bones,” wrote Katherine May in her best-selling nonfiction book Wintering. We tend to do a lot of each in every season of our music-making: When we sing, we thrive and blossom even as we lay bare the deepest emotions within us. May’s writings on the quiet and restorative gifts of winter provided the inspiration for our December program, in which we sang of foxes, owls, snow, frost-covered branches, and the aurora borealis. Collaborating with some of our favorite instrumentalists—flutist Marley Eder and percussionist Amanda Duncan for Vincent Persichetti’s haunting Winter Cantata, and cellist Esther Back for several other beautiful works—was a treat as always, and I was especially proud to feature a stunning custom work of art created by my niece, Greta, as our program cover! In March, our friends from Men in Blaque joined us to perform one of the great works of Western art: Johannes Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, in the composer’s own version for chorus, soloists, and four-hand piano. Baritone David Stoneman rained judgment; soprano Harriet Fraser brought sweet consolation; and pianists Janelle Kim and Katie Franklin Ledsinger were our capable orchestra for two concerts that broke our previous ticket-sales records. As we watched our immigrant neighbors across the nation targeted and intimidated, we realized that the program we’d originally planned for May didn’t speak to the moment as we felt it needed to. So we made a change and performed instead a concert of music by immigrants to America—composers and arrangers from four continents who came to this country to find safety and opportunity. We closed the season with an Australian immigrant’s arrangement of our national anthem, embracing the contradictions and questions it poses to us, and grateful that we have the freedom to use our voices for justice and change. Thank you, OCWC friends and fans and donors, for your ongoing support of the music we sing, the questions we ask, the flourishing, the bare bones. You are our family, in every season.
Eliza Rubenstein Artistic Director
A message from our Board Co-Presidents Our 28th season celebrated the art that keeps us human—whether provoking, comforting, or replenishing. We are grateful to our patrons, donors, friends, and family for joining us. With your support, the Orange County Women’s Chorus accomplished so much during the 2025–2026 season. Here are a few highlights: We began the season with a program inspired by Katherine May’s nonfiction book Wintering and featuring Vincent Persichetti’s Winter Cantata. We sang of midnights and creatures, stillness and rebirth, and dreams and rejuvenation. We embarked on a musical journey together at our annual “Glass of Cabaret” fundraiser, during which soloists and small groups serenaded the audience as they enjoyed delicious treats, wine, and an incredible silent auction. With your help, we exceeded our fundraising goal! In March 2026, we collaborated with Men In Blaque to present Johannes Brahms’ masterpiece, Ein Deutsches Requiem. Audience members added memories to our memory tree at the post-concert reception in honor of their loved ones. You made our annual i OCWC online fundraiser a rousing success, again helping us exceed our goal. We pivoted from our original plan for May 2026, instead presenting the concert we needed for the time. Our “Border Crossings” concert highlighted works from composers who immigrated to the United States, and together we celebrated the ties that bind, not the walls that divide. We received a grant of nearly $47,000 from the California Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund (PAEPF), which we applied to our artistic and administrative salaries and payroll expenses.
♥
We are extremely grateful for your ongoing support. Our success would not be possible without your gifts. Thank you for believing in our mission, encouraging us to keep singing about inspiring and relevant subjects, and buoying us as we continue our journey in the hopes of achieving even bigger goals in the future!
Heather Spickard and Katrina Veldkamp Co-Presidents, Board of Directors
OCWC by the numbers
1,405
$130k
Our 2025–2026 season achieved recordbreaking ticket sales, with attendance across our three programs increasing 12% over the previous year—1,256 tickets in FY25 vs. 1,405 tickets in FY26.
Thanks to your generosity, we raised $130,041 during the 2025–2026 season, with 333 donors, including 106 new donors who joined our community of supporters.
5
3x
Our chorus has tripled in size since 1997, growing from 19 singers to 57 singers in the 2025–2026 season.
The Silent Generation Gen Z (1928-1945) (1997-2012) 3% 14%
Baby Boomers (1946-1964) 26%
Gen X (1965-1980) 16%
Millennials (1981-1996) 41%
Our voices span 5 generations.
30% 17 of our singers are music educators in our community.
19% Cat(s)
Dog(s)
Other
80% of our singers own a pet.
11 of our singers grew up speaking a language other than English.
Artistic highlights
Watch and listen
Enjoy a selection from each of our concerts.
Artistic leaders
Eliza Rubenstein Artistic Director since 2000
Sarah Hughes Assistant Director since 2013
Janelle Kim Pianist since 2010
About us Mission
The Orange County Women’s Chorus creates and performs outstanding choral literature, engages and enriches our audiences, and celebrates women in music.
Vision
The OCWC is nationally regarded as an artistic and organizational leader in women’s choral music.
Values
We, the singers and Board members of the Orange County Women’s Chorus, value:
Excellence: The OCWC pursues artistic excellence by recruiting talented and dedicated musicians, preparing and performing choral music with the highest level of artistic integrity, and commissioning new works for women’s voices. Community: The OCWC fosters a deeply felt sense of community among its members. We support each other, have fun, and work together to achieve artistic excellence. The OCWC strives to extend this sense of community to our audiences, collaborators, and donors. Diversity: The OCWC embraces different perspectives and abilities. We are women who come from a variety of backgrounds, life experiences, and professions, ranging in age from young adults to retirees. We are committed to performing music from different cultures and eras, in original languages. Leadership: The OCWC is an advocate for women’s choral music and for women in music. We commission and perform new work for women’s voices and we offer opportunities for women to develop expertise and gain recognition as singers and conductors. Our board is actively engaged in organizational development, and is committed to adopting best practices for nonprofits and lifelong learning.
Our commitment to access, diversity, equity, and inclusion We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable environment where board members, staff, volunteers, chorus members, and audience members feel respected and valued regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or identity, disability status, or educational level. We are committed to being nondiscriminatory and providing equal opportunities for employment, volunteering, and advancement in all areas of our work. We recognize that pervasive cultural biases and historic and institutional racism—whether conscious or unconscious, past or present—have benefited some communities while limiting opportunities and outcomes for communities of color. As artists, we seek to communicate with our audiences—and with each other—in ways that will shape a more positive and equitable future for everyone. We respect the value that diverse life experiences bring to our board and leadership, and we strive to listen to and value the views and perspectives of our members and our audience.
Financial highlights Our financial strength in our 2025–2026 season was made possible by your generous individual gifts, the outstanding support of our singers, and state and foundation grants. In addition, our season ticket sales continued at consistent levels for the third consecutive year, accounting for approximately 25% of our total ticket sales. Our individual ticket sales for every program achieved record levels. We continue to manage our expenses carefully, and are committed to ensuring that the OCWC will share our music with the community for years to come.
How we’re funded The largest component of our contributed revenue—52% in the current year—continues to be provided by individuals and corporations, including our singers and board members. This year, 21% of our contributed revenue was derived from grants, a much higher percentage than we’ve historically experienced. The OCWC was one of 100 small, nonprofit performing arts grantees statewide to receive a grant from the California Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, a grant program designed to ensure sustained employment for artists and staff. Ticket sales accounted for 17% of our operating revenue, and we’re thrilled to see ticket sales overall increase by 12%. Investment income contributed 2% of our contributed revenue thanks to strategic placements in certificates of deposit and highyield savings accounts earning about 4.00%.
Individual and Corporate Contributions 31%
Singer and Board Contributions 21%
Grants 21% Investment Income 2% Special Events and Gifts in Kind 8%
Tickets 17%
Program Expenses 72% General and Administrative 16%
Fundraising 7% Use of In Kind Donations 5%
How we fund our mission
As in previous years, the majority of our funding—over 70%—was dedicated to programming, including artistic compensation, production costs, and marketing. Management and administrative expenses stayed consistent in comparison to last year at 16%, thanks to continued cost savings during the year. Fundraising remained steady, representing 7% of total operating expenses.
Unaudited statement of financial position as of June 30, 2026 and 2025
Unaudited statement of activities for fiscal years ended June 30, 2026 and 2025
The future of OCWC is bright As we continue to support women in music and enrich our community through song, we’re introducing two new ways to help ensure the Orange County Women’s Chorus thrives for generations to come.
Legacy Circle “In 1997, the OCWC began as a simple dream shared among friends around a coffee table. Nearly 30 years later, I’m honored to establish the OCWC Legacy Circle. Legacy gifts will automatically support our Endowment Fund, helping secure OCWC’s future for generations. Anyone who wishes to sustain our musical community is invited to join through planned giving.” Mary Watson-Bruce, OCWC Founding Member
Endowment Fund The Endowment Fund welcomes one-time, recurring, multi-year, and legacy gifts. We are deeply grateful for the inaugural gift from Ellen Quandahl and Larry Wheeler. “The OCWC has enriched Larry’s and my cultural life for over 25 years. We love the chorus, its inspiring repertoire, and the friendships strengthened through music. This endowment allows us to help ensure this magnificent organization thrives into the future.” Ellen Quandahl, 25-year OCWC Member
Click here to learn more
Administrative leaders
Laurel Chowdhury
Heather Spickard
Katrina Veldkamp Board Co-President
Tours and Commissions
Audience Development
Janelle Forney
Adriana Gomez
Mary Harmon
Mary C. Langsdorf
Board Co-President
Community Connections and Tours and Commissions
Jasmine Nicholson Audience Development
15
Member at Large
Claire Stoneman Fundraising and Development
Marjorie A. Beale
Chief Financial Officer
Alec Waters
Operaions and Technology
Board Member and Founding President
Megan Waters
Community Connections and Operations
Hillary Pearson
Chorus Administrator
Contributors Dame Ethel Smyth’s Suffragist Army (Gifts of $2,500 and more) Archarios Foundation Janet Bratton and Tom Nichols Laurel and Debashis Chowdhury InPack, Inc. Cheryl Knudsen Mary and Bill Langsdorf James McBride Leslie and Robert Mulford Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund Ellen Quandahl and Larry Wheeler Martha Selby The Soderberg Family Mary Watson
Elizabeth Cowan and Rebecca Chadwick Braddie and David Dooley Lucetta Dunn Boska and Joseph Dzida John Feeney Steve Forney Ymène Fouli Dana Freeman and Bill Hunker Pat and Dick George Mary Harmon John Holcombe and Jeff Whittiker Robin Huffman and Bill McKee Steven and Faith James Charles and Debra Kent Eileen Klink Clara Schumann’s Musical Family Corey Mackey (Gifts of $1,500 to $2,499) Darlene Moen Marjorie A. Beale and William Meyerhoff Molly and Dawn Molt Cynthia and David Knell Patricia Morgan Tracy and Barry Kogen Jasmine Nicholson Lindsey Philpott Richard Parslow Claire and David Stoneman Christopher Persichilli Karen Zfaty Charles and Ann Quilter Kent Rhodes and Bob Gunn Hildegard Von Bingen’s Community Lisa Roetzel and Alan Terricciano of Vision Eliza Rubenstein (Gifts of $500 to $1,499) Sharon and Mike Sheffield Kelly and Philip Arnold Valerie Simson AYCO Charitable Foundation, Jenny and Ted Spence Jeffrey A. and Susan L. Berkel Fund Heather Spickard and Alexander Kathryn and Nick Baldasari Demetrescu John W. Ballantyne Harry and Sara Veldkamp Benevity, Inc. Katrina Veldkamp and Michael Gillian Bidgood Fischer Boeing Corporation Megan and Alec Waters Nancy Burke and Dominic Holzhaus Jennifer Yalamanchi
Fanny Mendelssohn’s Musical Salon (Gifts of $150 to $499) Shreshta Aiyar Emi Allen Erin and Jon Allen Carole Arvidson Mike Auchter Jayne and David Baldwin Mary Barton Kendal Belhouchat Diana Bellafiore Brigitte Bower Jean and Rob Bowman Kristin Byrnes Sherry Caldwell JoJo and Mike Caprini Olivia Colón Vivian Cook and Chet Wescott Richard and Libby Cook Dolores Ealy-O’Neal Donald Fike Janelle Forney Allison Gibbons Oliver Glenn Adriana Gomez Janice and Paul Goodwin Samantha and Tom Gossage Matthew Gray Linden Gray-Reneberg Michael Guscott Ako Harada Lela and Scott Hardy Regina Hartley Marie Hayes Monica Healy Katherine Hickey Randall Hodges
20
Martha and Darrell Hughes Jeannette Hunker Carissa Huntting Susan Jarratt Bethany and Aaron Justice Kristin Kennedy Genie Kirchner Jeff Kogen Kroger Cinthia and Adam Kush Dani L’Heureux and Gavin Sweeney Felicia Lee Kate Manders Shauna McFadden and Shanna George Karina Melgar John Middlebrooks Catherine and John Miles Claudia Morris Brian Noel PwC Francie Quaas-Berryman Linda Radano and David Shuler Laura Raynes and Mark Dizon Dr. Stephen Rochford Jennifer Rohen Andrea Romero Margie Sacks Paul Sandorff Joann and Craig Schaum Michael and Kathleen Scroggie Lindsie Hardy Seagren Carroll Seron Rachel and Joe Sosta Maddison Sperry Cathryn Starr and Ronald Banks Maryruth Storer Natalie Tacorian Mariko Takahashi Brittany Traufler Lindsey Ueberroth Petrina Walker Anne Walthall William Wells Lynn West Stephanie and Keith Wright Madeline Yankell Paige Ye Chung Cha Ziesel-Fitch
Chiara Margarita Cozzolani’s Chorus (Gifts up to $149) Marian Ablis Susan F. Anderson Mark Anthony Catherine Bailey Sue Ballew Sari and Benjamin Barron Linda and George Bauer Peter Bean Adam Belhouchat Bri Bellini Sarah Benson Willam Bentley Stacia Beppu Marilyn and Kieran Bergin Carol Black Barbara Blair Phyllis Blake Christopher Blank and Josie Badeaux Julie Bower Tina Bradley Randal Bressette Shelley Tahan Breton Joan and Ronald Breuch
Kay Brown Gina Broz Deborah and Donald Calkins Lisa Campbell Tara Capalbo Elizabeth Carey Leslie Carr Shuann Chai Julie Chay Yue Cheng Denise Chilcote Chuck and Janet Coe Danielle Cohen Andrew Cohn Traci Cole Sarah Colón Jessica Cosley Diana D’Itri Deborah de Vries Jennifer Dentino
Doug and Cora Dodge Katharine Downey Adrienne Dreiling Marguerite and Jean-Baptiste Duprieu Stephanie Eckerman Bill and Beth Eldon Mary Ellen Kathleen Ellis Carolyn Estrada Susana Farrell Julie Fischer Molly Fitts Shannon Fowler Ashleigh Frazer Channing Freeman Merrilee J. Gardner Susan Garrett Renée Gehlbach Surina Geoffroy Guillermo Gomez, Jr. Katherine Griff Patricia Hale Bonnie and Bill Hall Mary Hall Cricket Handler Judy Hante Doreen Harmon Kim Heidebrecht Patricia Heilig Jessica Hertz Patricia Hicks Kristin Hinze Stirling Hunter
20
Karen Ann Hurst Libby and Peter Hutt iGive.com Holdings, LLC Mark Jablonski Chardette Jameson David and Gabriel Jimenez Dani Johnson Lynne Kabaczy Sara Kelley Lora Kennedy Wyatt Kiedrowski Kim Kiedrowski Foodie Kim Barbara Kingsbury Jennifer Knell Lindsay Knell David Kniffin Mark Kogen Kristina Kohl Randi Kraemer Pamela Krug Deborah Kuryan Barbara and Bill Lacey Elaine Land Arlie Langager Cookie Lee Dawn Marie Lemonds Teresa LePage Susan and Rich Liechty Cathy Lindsey Scott Livingstone CJ Lucke Kristina Metzger Lvovich Carin Martin Mary Martin Janet McCusker Jan McDaniel Katherine P. McKalip Melanie McLean Patrick McLean Theresa and Mark McManigal
Teri and Nina McMullen Joseph McVeigh Natalie Miles Liz Miller Tasha Miller Carole and Alex Mintzer Dayle Moden John Montgomerie Rohde and Alejandro Morales Dolores Mortier Allegra Mount Carrie and Kaz Mulcahy Nicolette Myers Kristina Nakagawa Neeti Nanda Angela Nelson Michael and Joan Neuscheler Jocelyn Nguyen Vincent Nguyen Susan and Clark Nichols Cynthia Nunes Renée and Cory Oakes Robert Oesterreich Hiroko Ogata Nandie Oosthuizen Sam Orfield Fiona Parker Susan Pearlman Clay Phillips Lois Phillips Tom and Maureen Pietryga Doreen C. Ramsey Nicole Reynolds Margret Roberts Calvin and Caroline Roetzel Jesus Romero Jessica and Greta Rubenstein Paul Sammon and Tom Hall Sharon Santoro Janice Schneider Barbara Seagren
Erin Shapiro Catherine Sharbaugh Manisha Sharma Angie Sharp Em Shipley Scott Shipley Ann Sill Janet Smith Teri Smith Tracy Smith Magen Solomon John and Shawna Sorber Jay Sowell Gai Spickard Nathan Staph Terry Steagall Laura Straub Kim Sundermeyer Richard Tanimoto Linda Tenno Gracie Thornburgh Linda Tilden Dale Trumbore Bruce Tunell Vanessa Vail Philip Venard Luke Verseput Judith Vida-Spence April Viehmann Caesar Villanueva Murray and April Wachtenheim Kathleen Wahl Bryan Wake Kenneth Waldram Cherisse Waligura Martin Waters Yvonne Waters Michael Westerfield Kathlene Williamson Aimee and Chris Wing Alan Yamashiro Rebekah York
In-Kind Donations Baroque Music Festival Bellante Family Winery Elizabeth Bjornsti and Christopher Persichilli Bowers Museum Janet Bratton and Tom Nichols Canterbury Consulting JoJo and Mike Caprini Chance Theater Laurel and Debashis Chowdhury Coastal Kitchen Frisby Winery Allison Gibbons gorjana Grammy Museum
Historic Mission San Juan Capistrano Jeannette Hunker The Huntington Library Irvine Barclay Theatre Bethany and Aaron Justice Kendra Scott Jewelry Kristin Kennedy Cynthia and David Knell Laguna Beach Chamber Singers Mary and Bill Langsdorf Cathy Lindsey Katherine P. McKalip MenAlive - OC Gay Men's Chorus Leslie and Robert Mulford Newport Harbor Lutheran Church Orbit Printing
Pacific Symphony Pacifica Hotels Philharmonic Society of Orange County Lisa Roetzel and Alan Terricciano Eliza Rubenstein Laurie Soderberg South Coast Repertory St. George’s Episcopal Church St. Wilfrid of York Episcopal Church Urban Air Adventure Park Fullerton Katrina Veldkamp and Michael Fischer Mary Watson Webb Grain Works Wiens Cellars
Photo Credits: Andrew Pino, Veronika Reinert, Keith Wright
16
www.ocwomenschorus.org info@ocwomenschorus.org 23802 Avenida De La Carlota Laguna Hills, CA 92653