For Jill Kaiser, music is an essential part of who she is. “I would describe music as not only a creative outlet, but a spiritual need in my life.”
“I am incredibly proud of the DSSO and the DSSO chorus. We are so fortunate to have a top-notch symphony orchestra in Duluth and a chorus that enables us to offer much-loved choral works to the community. The chorus also provides a magnificent performance opportunity for area singers,” she said.
Kaiser was born in Minneapolis and grew up in Robbinsdale. “I played violin in the Robbinsdale High School orchestra and in three musicals. I met Tom, my high school sweetheart (and husband of 53 years), while playing in high school orchestra.
She attended the University of Minnesota where she received her elementary education degree, with a minor in music. She then taught kindergarten in the Anoka-Hennepin school district.
While her husband completed his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic, the couple lived in Rochester for five years. Following his residency, they moved to Duluth where Tom took a position with the then Duluth Clinic/St. Mary’s.
Andrew, one of the couple’s two sons, attended the University of Minnesota and earned a degree in music theory/composition and then attended graduate school at USC where he earned a certificate in television/ film scoring. After living and working in LA for nearly 20 years, Andrew is now living in Duluth, working remotely as a composer.
Their other son, Anthony, attended Harvard University and the University of Minnesota and worked as a software engineer until his death in 2009. Jill said, “After Tony’s death (he suffered from severe depression and Autism Spectrum Disorder) I focused my energies on mental health needs/concerns in the Duluth community. I served on the Miller Dwan Foundation Board for nine years and worked on the capital campaign for Amberwing Center for Youth and Family Well-Being.”
She also noted, “I love to dance and was a competitive ballroom dancer for five years.” She enjoys travel and in 2023 went to Greece and Turkey and visited Africa in 2022. She noted, “In Africa, I traveled with a non-profit group; we delivered water filters to African villages and also went on safari.”
Jill loves to read and has belonged to a Book Group for 34 years, and she also enjoys sewing quilts. Hiking is another favorite pastime. She added, “Time spent with my grandchildren is one of my great joys. I have five, all boys.”
Going Back to the Violin
She added,” Although my musical journey began when I started taking piano and violin lessons at age 11, my violin sat mostly untouched for twenty years. When I began coaching my son Andrew as he learned to play, I decided to begin studying violin again.”
“I have a distinct memory of attending a DSSO concert and hearing Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony and vowing that I would play that with the DSSO someday. I have played it at least three times!” she said.
She earned a degree in Violin Performance from UWS in 1999 and began playing with the DSSO in 1996 as a sub and later earned a position as a regular section player.
“My twenty years with the DSSO were a joy! I loved the challenge of learning new, unknown works and enjoyed playing symphonic standards by Dvorak, Beethoven, Brahms, and others. I retired from the DSSO when my husband retired from Essentia.”
Singing with the DSSO Chorus
Jill wasn’t done, though, with performing with the DSSO. “I have sung with a church choir for most of my life; in 2021, one of my singing colleagues suggested I audition for the DSSO chorus. I have enjoyed experiencing both sides of the stage, singing works that I played when I was in the orchestra such as Beethoven 9 and Carmina Burana.”
“Singing in the chorus has helped fulfill my need for ensemble performance, feeling the harmonies of other voices, and I love the thrill of learning unfamiliar works as well,” she stated.
Jill will sing with the DSSO Chorus in the upcoming Masterworks Concert 6 on April 5. The Chorus will perform Johannes Brahms’ Schicksalslied and Time and Again Barelas choral suite by American/Uruguayan composer Miguel del Aguila.
Kaiser also currently serves as the DSSO’s Development Chair where it is her job, along with other board members, to seek out new sources of funding and to cultivate donors.
”When I began my Board term we were facing some extreme financial challenges; I am very gratified that things are turning around. We have received a few unexpected gifs which have helped our situation enormously, and our Executive Director David Arnott, along with other board members have worked tirelessly at finding new funding sources.”
“I am passionate about keeping the DSSO vital and relevant in our community and consider our orchestra the cultural cornerstone of the arts in Duluth,” she said.
Information about “La Valse” DSSO Masterworks Concert 6
April 5 at the DECC Symphony Hall at 7:00 p.m. Tickets at dsso.com
From the DSSO Website
“We bring the Masterworks season to a close with the best the DSSO has to offer, featuring our incredible musicians, our concertmaster Erin Aldridge, and our beloved DSSO Chorus. The concert starts with a celebration of Maurice Ravel’s 150th birthday, featuring his virtuosic La Valse that shows the orchestra in all its splendor. Erin will then take the stage with Ravel’s Tzigane for violin and orchestra, as well as the beautiful Poème by French composer Ernest Chausson. After two riveting Latin American Dances by American composer Gabriela Lena Frank, we then feature our DSSO Chorus in Johannes Brahms’ serene Schicksalslied and the rousing Time and Again Barelas choral suite by American/Uruguayan composer Miguel del Aguila.”
