Our Mission
The Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra is an organization dedicated to enriching the lives of the lakes region by sharing quality orchestral music to educate, entertain, and prompt a wider vision of the world and its people.
History
The Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra became a reality in 2009 under the direction of Brad Lambrecht, Alexandria Area High School Orchestra Director, Alexandria MN. A non-profit organization was formed with a Board of Directors including Joelle Burreson (Chair), Karen Erickson, Trish Jensen, Larry Ortloff, Deb Thompson, Erik Vigesaa, and a student member.
Rehearsals began in October 2009 with more than fifty members from the Alexandria area including the communities of Brandon, Carlos, Fergus Falls, Garfield, Glenwood, Miltona, Nelson, Osakis, Villard, and Vining.
Orchestra rehearsals are held in the Alexandria Area High School Orchestra Room from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday evenings under the direction of Brad Lambrecht. Membership is open to musicians age sixteen and older and auditions may be arranged through the Director or Board Members.
Music Director
Brad Lambrecht is the founder and conductor of the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra since its inception in 2009. Through the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra (CLSO), Mr. Lambrecht has collaborated with the Minnesota Opera, Twin Cities Ballet, Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience, and many other regionally/nationally renowned musicians. Some of these collaborative highlights are Mozart’s “Die Zauberflote,” Biset’s “Carmen,” Copland’s “Rodeo,” Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” and Clausen’s “Memorial.” During his tenure with CLSO, Mr. Lambrecht has also commissioned five works to be written by Midwest composers. These compositions were based on the Alexandria Lakes Area and proudly premiered there. Mr. Lambrecht joined the music faculty at Alexandria School District #206 from the fall of 2007 until the spring of 2024 as the Director of Orchestras for the Alexandria Area High School.
Prior to his appointments in Alexandria, Mr. Lambrecht was a 2005 Music Education graduate from Valley City State University in Valley City, North Dakota. While attending VCSU he was awarded winner of the North Dakota Young Artists competition two years in a row. After graduation Mr. Lambrecht became the band, choir, and strings teacher for Central Cass High School in Casselton, North Dakota.
In the fall of 2023, Mr. Lambrecht was appointed as the Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra, the top auditioned ensemble, for the Fargo Moorhead Area Youth Symphonies. This group of extremely talented young musicians performs in the Fargo/Moorhead area, as well as throughout North Dakota and Minnesota. Through this position with the youth orchestra, Mr. Lambrecht also has the privilege to serve under Maestro Christopher Zimmerman, as the Assistant Conductor of the Fargo Moorhead Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Lambrecht has enjoyed the tutelage of notable conductors such as Dr. Mallory Thompson, Professor H. Bob Reynolds, Dr. Warren Olfert, Dr. Sigurd Johnson, and Dr. Leesa Levy. In 2012 Mr. Lambrecht was recognized as Minnesota Public Radio’s Music Teacher Feature. Mr. Lambrecht completed his Master’s Degree in Music Education specializing in Orchestral Conducting from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado under the direction of Maestro Wes Kenney. Since then, Mr. Lambrecht has been a regular guest conductor for many youth honors orchestras such as the North Dakota String Honors Orchestra and twice the Minnesota Mid-Level Honors Orchestra.
Concert Master
Gregory F. Donahue is an attorney and violinist in the Alexandria, Minnesota area. Originally from New Jersey, Greg has spent most of his life in the Midwest after 5 years in the United Kingdom. He started his legal career as a law student authorized to practice law with the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office in Bedford, Indiana. He briefly established his own law practice in Burnsville, Minnesota before clerking for Douglas County District Court Judge Ann Carrott. Greg is currently a Partner and Shareholder at the Swenson Lervick Law Firm in Alexandria, where he represents the City of Alexandria, as well as private clients in the areas of contract enforcement, civil litigation, real estate litigation, creditor’s rights, copyrights and trademarks. He is on the board of the Viking Sportsmen Club and active with the Alexandria Rotary. He also frequently volunteers with the Alexandria Police Department’s Citizen’s Academy and as a guest speaker at the Alexandria Area High School. He enjoys kayaking, cycling, hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, cooking, and everything the lakes area has to offer with his wife and three children (who are all violinists themselves).
Greg is the Concertmaster for the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra and also substitutes as a violinist with the Fargo Moorhead Symphony Orchestra. Greg began his classical training at the Hindhead Music Centre in Surrey, England at the age of six. He trained classically under Marcia Henry Liebenow (Concertmaster, Peoria Symphony) at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, and has performed as a classical violinist, and a jazz, blues, rock, and folk fiddler player with various artists including Edgar Meyer, John McDermott, and Dawn Upshaw. Greg has recorded professionally and can be heard on viola in Backyard Tire Fire’s album, “The Places We Live.” Greg received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music and Business Administration concentrating in Marketing from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois in 2009, where he studied under Dr. Michael Hall. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana in 2012. Among other groups, Greg has performed regularly with the State Farm Insurance Christmas Orchestra (Concertmaster, Bloomington, Illinois), the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra (Muscatine, Iowa), The Heritage Ensemble (Peoria, Illinois), Peoria Players Theatre (Peoria, Illinois), Cornstock Theater (Peoria, Illinois), The Bogside Zukes (Peoria, Illinois), The Church of the Immortal Groove (Bloomington, Illinois), Gouda (Bloomington, Illinois), The Salty Dogs, Paulette Friday Productions, Uncle Willy’s Gut Bucket Blues Band, and Greg & Eric (all Alexandria, Minnesota). He is often featured as a guest musician in Alexandria at The Church of St. Mary, Calvary Lutheran Church, and First Lutheran Church. He was a founding member of the Quaternaria String Quartet and currently performs with the Corellian Quartet.
Executive Director
Deb Hertzog joined the CLSO as Executive Director in 2024. Deb brings a wide variety of experience to the position of Executive Director. For over 20 years, she worked in Medical Device and Pharmaceutical sales in a variety of disease states. She has also been the Office Manager for the College of St. Benedict’s Counseling and Health Education Department. Prior to that, Deb was the Director of the Administration Office at the St. Cloud Hospital for 14 years. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Concordia University – St. Paul with a BA degree in Management and Communication.
Deb’s love for music and the arts, along with her technical, financial, and organizational skills will keep the CLSO aligned for continued growth. Deb also demonstrates a great deal of tenacity and perseverance and is a great asset to the CLSO organization.
