Tuesday Musical has honored three Akron residents.
Bruce Hagelin received the Lola Rothmann Volunteer Achievement Award and Drs. Fred and Elizabeth Specht received Cynthia Knight Patron Awards. Both awards recognize volunteers dedication to the 133-year-old organization. The awards were presented during Tuesday Musical’s annual meeting in June.
Bruce Hagelin has served on multiple Tuesday Musical committees and continues to have a key role in helping to organize Tuesday Musical’s monthly Members Programs that feature performances by local and regional musicians, refreshments, and opportunities to meet other music lovers. Following retirement from Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in 2006 after a nearly 40 year career that involved many varied assignments — both domestically and internationally — in engineering, computer systems development, planning, logistics facility construction design and management, and retail store planning and design, Bruce joined Tuesday Musical at the urging of his wife Joy, who served for 12 years as chairperson of Tuesday Musical's Hospitality Committee and as a member of the board. Joy is also a prior recipient of the Lola Rothmann award. Fittingly, Bruce’s first volunteer role with Tuesday Musical was as an unofficial member of the Hospitality Committee, a position he still holds today. He has been tasked by the chairperson with assignments in transportation, set-up, refreshment refreshing, and clean-up — all in the effort to make the Members Programs enjoyable and memorable experience. Members of Tuesday Musical know Bruce as the unofficial greeter, door opener, umbrella holder and, occasionally, valet for Members Programs. Bruce has also assisted with several fund raising benefits and dinners.
Bruce Hagelin's first formal Tuesday Musical role was several years ago when he served on the committee charged with updating the organization’s Code of Regulations. He also serves on the Finance Committee. Bruce graduated from Lehigh University with degrees in industrial engineering and business management.
Drs. Fred and Elizabeth Specht were inspired to become Tuesday Musical subscribers after attending a 2007 concert by cellist Yo Yo Ma and pianist Kathryn Scott. Fred has served on Tuesday Musical’s board since 2018. Both volunteer yearly for the organization’s Scholarship Competition and recently endowed two scholarships, one in strings and one in woodwinds. Begun in 1955 and hailed as the best in Ohio, the annual competition provides support for talented university students embarking on careers as music educators and performers.
Fred, an internal medicine physician in Akron, graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Beth also graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and was a pediatrician at Akron Children’s Hospital for 40 years. Both are now retired.
Founded in Akron in 1887, Tuesday Musical curates distinctive musical experiences, including the Akron Concert Series and education/community/member engagement programs throughout Northeast Ohio.