This award is presented each year by the Houston Symphony League to an outstanding education volunteer for serving and inspiring others and bringing the joy and splendor of music to children and their families in the Houston community

This award was established in 2000 to honor the memory of Ardyce Tostengard, a long-time education volunteer for her dedication, service and lasting impact on the education programs of the Houston Symphony, for inspiring others and for bringing the joy and splendor of music to children and their families in the Houston community. This is the 20th year the Ardyce Tostengard Crystal Cello Award has been given.  This year’s recipients of the Ardyce Tostengard Crystal Cello Award are Betty & Gerry Stacy. 

Betty & Gerry have lived in Friendswood since 1974. They have three sons, a daughter and three grandchildren. Since they retired in 2009, Betty & Gerry have been very active in their community-volunteering at the Houston Rodeo and a concession stand at the Astros games. They run their Episcopal Church’s resale shop. They enjoy travel and visits to Vegas & Louisiana. A large part of “being active in their community” has been their membership in both the Bay Area Symphony League and the Houston Symphony League. As a member of the Bay Area Symphony League, Betty began volunteering in the Jones Hall Symphony Store and was the buyer with Joyce Fox for several years. Betty & Gerry have volunteered for the Ima Hogg Competition. And, this year, Betty is the V-P of Education for the Bay Area League.  But, for at least the last 10 years, they have truly shone in their dedication & commitment to the Student Concerts and every year work almost all of them. Betty has co-chaired Student Concerts with both Joyce Fox and Gayle Eury. Betty & Gerry demonstrate the same quiet, modest, low-key leadership that Ardyce Tostengard was known for and for persistence, dedication, & commitment. They have involved others in service and have expanded the League’s ability to support our mission to support the Symphony’s Student Concerts-the Symphony’s bedrock program that brings music to Houston Area children.

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