The Ellen Kelley Volunteer of the Year Award is given in recognition of outstanding service to the Houston Symphony League. Our Houston Symphony League directory is dedicated to this year’s winner, Karinne McCullough.

As a POPS concert subscriber since 1990, Karinne came to know the League in Spring 2014 through a B# Brunch program featuring Principal POPS conductor Michael Krajewski. At the Fall Membership Lunch, she signed up to try almost every volunteer opportunity at least once and life as a volunteer with the League began.

Karinne’s participation spans Education – Student Concert Usher, Family Concerts, Junior Patrons, Instrument Petting Zoo, Crafts, Ima Hogg Competition Judges’ Hospitality Liaison and Liaison for Winner’s Community Residency (both pioneer roles); Fundraising for violins for Lewis Elementary students, Magical Musical Morning; Symphony Community Outreach as liaison for Community Embedded Musicians, escorting CEMs to bedside visits with oncology patients at Texas Children’s Hospital and importantly, simply providing a “pair of hands” behind the scene.

Leadership roles include Recording Secretary (2021-23); Annual Fund Chair (2022); By-Laws Committee (2022); Vice President of Education; Strategic Planning Committee (3 years); Nominating Committee (3 years), and Co-chair of Mailing Committee (3 years). She is a member of the Symphony’s Education Committee. Karinne was the recipient of the 2019 Ardyce Tostengard Crystal Cello Award. She and husband Bill are members of the Houston Symphony Legacy Society.

Professionally, Karinne taught pre-school and elementary children with language-learning disabilities. She was a consultant for publishers of classroom material. Karinne holds a JD from South Texas College of Law. In private practice, she focused on insurance defense and appeals before joining the First Court of Appeals as a staff attorney. She served as the Court Administrator until appointed Clerk of the Court, retiring from the Court after 13 years of public service. Other volunteer organizations include the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary and the Barbara Bush Ladies for Literacy Guild.

Karinne and Bill attend South Main Baptist Church where she sings in the Sanctuary Choir. She also serves on the Board of Directors at 2016 Main Condominiums where they live with their two cats, Jack and Red.

The Ellen Kelley Volunteer of the Year Award is given in recognition of outstanding service to the Houston Symphony League and the Houston Symphony. It was established in 1984 and named after its first recipient, Ellen Kelley. The honoree has special qualities of purposeful involvement, the ability to inspire others, meets goals with a vision for the present and the future, hard work in the trenches, productivity, ingenuity and ongoing support and leadership are all important qualities of the recipient.

The Ellen Kelley Volunteer of the Year recipient for 2022 is April Lykos! April truly exemplifies these qualities and the award is richly deserved.

April was born and raised in Dallas. Her love of music was influenced by her parents, who provided 14 years of piano lesson. This paid off for April. While she attended UT, she played piano for sororities and the business school follies for $1/song!
April then went on to earn a law degree and became a bankruptcy lawyer in NYC. A chance meeting with Stanley Marcus led to a successful retail career at Neiman Marcus, where not only was she a buyer, but also turned around merchant divisions.

April moved to Houston 22 years ago with husband Tom, who yearned to be back with his beloved Greek community, accompanied by baby Tommy. Two other children Helen and Phillip followed. It was through her daughter, Helen and her preschool, that April met Houston Symphony cellist, Brinton Smith. April soon become a subscriber, a Houston Symphony Society Board member and joined the League in 2007.

Since 2007, she has served in 11 Board positions including President’s Luncheon Co-Chair, Store Merchandising Chair, Ima Hogg Co-Chair and Chair, Presidential Advisor, Orchestrated Luncheon Co-Chair, President’s Council, and TASO, LAO and AMSOV Rep.
In addition, she helped with the inaugural Children’s Fashion Show, Magical Musical Morning and as Auction Chair for the Casablanca Gala as well as Opening Night and Wine Dinner committees. April often made volunteering at the Symphony a family affair by bringing her daughter, Helen along to work in the Store and The Children’s Fashion Show.

Ellen Kelley 2022 Volunteer of the Year Award Winner – April Lykos

April received multiple nominations this year for the Ellen Kelley Award. Comments from the nominations noted that she was seminal in making the Symphony Store a success for many years. It is also mentioned that she went above the call of duty by holding workshops for computer payment knowledge when she was Merchandising Chair. It is certainly due to April’s love of music and retail genius that the Symphony Store income exceeded financial goals. And how many items did we all buy at the Store from charming April behind the counter?

When she was the Ima Hogg Competition Chair, she put in place a major underwriter that raised the first prize money from $5,000 to $25,000, which helped improve the competition’s standing. She also put in place the Host Family Program and secured medical cards from Methodist Hospital’s, The Center for the Arts Medicine, for the competition finalist.

During April’s time as TASO and LAO Rep, she was instrumental in co-writing submissions about the League’s accomplishments so that other organizations could learn from our successes. Submissions for Lewis Elementary and Fundraising Pop-ups won TASO and LAO awards in 2021. A submission on Interface Improvements Between the Symphony and League Websites and Conversations with an Icon won TASO awards in 2022. A submission co -written by April about John and Lindy Rydman and SPEC’S won a Business Award of Excellence.

April continues to be Symphony patron. She enjoys not only attending concerts, but loves all the League projects she has been able to contribute to and the friendships that she has made during her time as a League member.

Congratulations April!