THE BJSO Board of directors
President: John Rapp is an emeritus professor of Political Science at Beloit College, having retired in May 2019 after 33 years of teaching comparative politics at Beloit. A son of two professional musicians, he has had a lifelong love for classical music. He designed and constructed the website in honor of his late father’s life in music, at robertmrapp.org, including posts of his father’s choral and vocal recordings (including duets with John’s mother, Dorothy Davies Rapp), compositions, and scholarly works. John has also presented talks on works by Sergei Rachmaninoff for concerts in Beloit, Washington D.C., and Evansville Indiana. He also produced and hosted summer radio programs on WBCR on the music of Rachmaninoff. He has sung with the Beloit Masterworks Chorus in Rachmaninoff’s Vespers and in the BJSO concert presentation of Puccini’s Turandot. He has an extensive classical music collection on vinyl, cassettes, and CD’s and DVD’s and has been privileged to hear concerts of some of the world’s greatest conductors and soloists, including Andre Previn and the LSO, Leonard Bernstein guest conducting the National Symphony Orchestra, Sir George Solti and the CSO, Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony, the Berlin Philharmonic in Berlin, and the second to last recital of Arthur Rubinstein, plus numerous soloists and conductors at concerts at Ravinia and elsewhere.
Vice-President: Open Board Position
Secretary: Mitch Gaver is a Janesville resident and has recently retired from a career in marketing and management in the biotechnology industry. He has a BS in Biology and MBA from the University of Iowa as well as publications and patents on the biochemistry of Duchenne and Becker’s Muscular Dystrophy. He has been active in music since childhood by playing guitar, trombone and singing in many different styles of music groups as well as volunteering at several local hospitals in their music therapy programs. He is involved in Rotary International and is President-elect of his local club.
Treasurer: Larry Arft is the former City Manager of Beloit, having served from 2003 – 2015. He is the recipient of the Ken Hendricks Community Spirit Award presented by the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce, and the Beloit Daily News Headliner Award. Larry is an active member of his community, and is a member of long-standing of the Beloit Rotary Club.
Musicians' Representative: Joe Kania is the BJSO Principal Clarinetist. Joe has played with the BJSO since 2004. He plays in numerous regional orchestras and music groups. He is a resident of Avalon, WI and is currently employed by Dannon North America.
Sam Keller
Mary Porter was born and raised in Mineral Points Wi. After High School graduation, she went to Luther College with the intent to pursuing a major in music. She transferred to the University of Wisconsin at Platteville and received a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and a minor in music. Later she received a masters in Early Education from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. Mary arrived in Beloit in 1963 to teach Kindergarten and enjoyed a 40 year career teaching for the School District of Beloit. She also met and married Daryl Porter and together, they raised two daughters, Amy and Beth. Daryl died in 2015 and eventually Mary met Sam Keller and they share a love of music plus many other activities including concerts, theater, art, dancing , biking, playing cards (especially bridge) cooking, entertaining, church, bible study, and other musical performances.
Vice-President: Open Board Position
Secretary: Mitch Gaver is a Janesville resident and has recently retired from a career in marketing and management in the biotechnology industry. He has a BS in Biology and MBA from the University of Iowa as well as publications and patents on the biochemistry of Duchenne and Becker’s Muscular Dystrophy. He has been active in music since childhood by playing guitar, trombone and singing in many different styles of music groups as well as volunteering at several local hospitals in their music therapy programs. He is involved in Rotary International and is President-elect of his local club.
Treasurer: Larry Arft is the former City Manager of Beloit, having served from 2003 – 2015. He is the recipient of the Ken Hendricks Community Spirit Award presented by the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce, and the Beloit Daily News Headliner Award. Larry is an active member of his community, and is a member of long-standing of the Beloit Rotary Club.
Musicians' Representative: Joe Kania is the BJSO Principal Clarinetist. Joe has played with the BJSO since 2004. He plays in numerous regional orchestras and music groups. He is a resident of Avalon, WI and is currently employed by Dannon North America.
Sam Keller
Mary Porter was born and raised in Mineral Points Wi. After High School graduation, she went to Luther College with the intent to pursuing a major in music. She transferred to the University of Wisconsin at Platteville and received a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and a minor in music. Later she received a masters in Early Education from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. Mary arrived in Beloit in 1963 to teach Kindergarten and enjoyed a 40 year career teaching for the School District of Beloit. She also met and married Daryl Porter and together, they raised two daughters, Amy and Beth. Daryl died in 2015 and eventually Mary met Sam Keller and they share a love of music plus many other activities including concerts, theater, art, dancing , biking, playing cards (especially bridge) cooking, entertaining, church, bible study, and other musical performances.
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Carol Fosshage is a Janesville resident and a former elementary school vocal music teacher. She was a music copyist and executive assistant for BJSO’s conductor Dr. Crawford Gates. Her community affiliations include the MacDowell Music Club, the AAUW, and the Sigma Alpha Iota. Carol hold a Lifetime Membership on the Board.