Curtain Call For Schroeder’s Annual Young Artist Grant Concert
Sonora, CA — Calling it “bittersweet,” Sonora High Alumni Todd Schroeder says his final annual benefit concert will be this coming May.
It will mark the 30th anniversary, which over the past three decades has helped provide over 60 scholarships, and funded essential improvements to Sonora High’s performing arts facilities.
His final show will be May 3 at 7:30 pm in the Sonora High School Auditorium and tickets will go on sale April 12. Due to scheduling constraints, he is unable to commit to future yearly productions.
Reflecting on the history and legacy of the concert, he shares, “When I was a student at Sonora High School, there wasn’t much support for music and the arts. About ten years after I graduated, I was talking with Steve Southard and my mother, Sally Schoettgen, and we decided to put on a concert to raise money for the music program—a way to give back to the community and inspire the next generation of artists. At the time, I was music directing for Rita Coolidge, and she agreed to headline the first concert. It sold out instantly, so we decided to keep it going.”
Other performers who have contributed to past shows include Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander, Broadway stars Sam Harris and David Burnham, and local favorites Brian Cogburn and Ali Pelfrey. Matt Berman, technical director for Kristin Chenoweth, takes time off to fly in and run lights and sound for the concert.
Schroeder concludes, “This has been an incredible ride, and I am so proud of our accomplishments. But what truly inspires me is the ripple effect of the pebbles we’ve thrown into the water – how they continue to reach new shores. The arts are strong and thriving in Tuolumne County, and I am honored to have played a pr in that success.”
Notable happenings that have come from the event include a new sound system for the auditorium and the refurbishment of the Grand Piano once played by Schroeder during his time at Sonora High. This year, thanks to a partnership with the Sonora Area Foundation, the benefit concert will debut a brand-new state-of-the-art lighting system in the auditorium.
Schroeder has not finalized the lineup for the final milestone concert but promises it will be a night filled with “great music, cherished memories, and heartfelt celebration.”
