About the campaign
Lyrica Baroque is launching a restricted reserve fund to support operational capacity and long- term resilience. The purpose of the fund is to help ensure the sustainable financial stability of our organization and position it to respond to varying economic conditions.
The decision to launch the campaign now is deeply purposeful and meaningful. Executive Director Jaren Atherholt has chosen to honor the life of her mother Barbara Strauss Philleo following her untimely passing. An anchor gift of $15,000 from the estate will initiate the reserve.
Barbara with her students
Barbara was a devoted supporter of Lyrica Baroque and especially passionate about ensuring access to music education for youth. She supported Jaren’s musical journey from childhood, and this reserve fund honors her legacy by securing the future of an organization she deeply believed in.
Interest earned from the invested board-restricted reserve will be used to support K-12 students participating in NOLA Chamber Fest each year in honor of Barbara Philleo’s long-time sponsorship of the festival’s high school division.
Campaign Tracker
Campaign Goal
$100,000
The Barbara Strauss Philleo Restricted Reserve Fund is a mission-aligned act of stewardship, sustainability, and love. It represents Lyrica Baroque's transition from a founder-led organization to one with the infrastructure to thrive far into the future.
Barbara in the classroom
In Memory of
Barbara Strauss Philleo
Barbara Stauss Philleo’s legacy as an educator with a passion for music and the arts will have lasting permanence in the Lyrica Baroque restricted reserve fund. Join us in honoring her life.
Early Life
Born in Queens, NY on August 22, 1949, Barb was the daughter of Jewish immigrants, Rudolph and Anne Marie Strauss, who had fled from Nazi Germany. Following the tragic passing of her parents when she was 12 years old, she spent her remaining adolescence raised by the family of Oscar and Gisela Strauss, her aunt and uncle, in Eugene, Oregon.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Oregon in 1971, where she met her future husband Jim Philleo. After graduating, the two went to Europe where they bought a VW bus and travelled extensively. They finally settled downin Fairbanks, Alaska, Jim’s birthplace to start a family.
Barbara as a child
Barbara and Jaren with their babies
Professional Career
Barb continued her studies at the University of Alaska before beginning a career teaching English and leading the Yearbook at Lathrop High School. She was an extremely devoted educator, spending much of her free time grading student work. Teaching created lasting connections that led to her keeping in contact with former students throughout the rest of her life.
Barb blossomed into a proud Alaskan despite her consternation with the frigid temperatures. After 13 years of teaching and following the birth of her two children, she moved on to leverage her natural talent as a visual artist into a successful career of desktop publishing. She started her own business called Letter Perfect, designing logos, advertisements, and newsletters for distinguished household Alaskan brands and businesses such as Doyon Ltd. and Team Cutters.
Barb was a dedicated mother who believed in and loved her family. She also believed strongly in community and doing the right thing for others.
A Devoted Mother and Friend
She was adventurous, strong, and brave. Barb was a woman of great empathy, energy, and endless curiosity. She had a magnetic personality that fostered deep, meaningful friendships. Keeping in touch with people from the various communities she was a part of was a source of pride and joy. She equally treasured watching her children grow, fiercely supporting them in all of their endeavors, and becoming a grandmother.
Barbara loved and supported the arts and arts education throughout her life. She nurtured this energy and passion in her children, taking them to local concerts and musicals from an early age and encouraging them to take visual art classes and learn the piano alongside their primary instruments. She enrolled them in arts camps and music festivals and always found opportunities to introduce them to new artistic experiences and creative outlets. Her dedication knew no bounds as she braved the icy Alaskan roads and sub-zero temperatures to ensure they would be there for any and all rehearsals and performances.
Jaren’s graduation from Interlochen Arts Academy
Crawford Philleo, Jackson Philleo, Jaren Atherholt, Barbara Philleo
Join us as we honor her legacy and set the stage for the future
of Lyrica Baroque.
“The students are so special, and the music is so beautiful. We must do everything we can to support them! I’m so proud of you.”
-Barbara Strauss Philleo
Barbara with her students at Lathrop High School
Lyrica Baroque
Lyrica Baroque is dedicated to uniting communities through chamber music. What began in 2009 as a trio of musicians performing the French Quarter has evolved into a nonprofit organization using classical chamber music as a catalyst for connection, healing and social impact.
Programming
In 2015, an expanded ensemble of musicians, educators, and community leaders formally established Lyrica Baroque as a nonprofit. We serve through three core program areas:
- A performance series including summer and winter concerts.
- A chamber music festival for youth who play instruments.
- In-school programs that use chamber music to teach social-emotional learning and introduce K-12 students to live music.
Partnerships
All programming is developed and realized though partnerships with local organizations, allowing us to combine strengths, amplify impact, and extend our reach. Key collaborators include:
The New Orleans Friends of Music
The University of New Orleans School of Arts
Tulane University
Longue Vue House and Gardens
New Orleans Jazz Museum
New Marigny Theatre
Christ Church Cathedral
KID smART
Palacios House of Arts
Algiers Music and Artist Studio
Achievements
Lyrica Baroque’s growth has been intentional and sustainable, shaped by these long-standing relationships. In 2025 our successes included:
- We presented 4 formal concerts and 4 community events
- We served 450 students ranging from early elementary school through post graduate school, based in Orleans Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish and nationwide.
- We partnered with 11 organizations and worked in 12 schools
- We reached over 2,500 audience members
- We employed 32 musicians at competitive wages, helping to foster financial stability in the classical music space.
- We commissioned 4 brand new works by living composers, offering meaningful employment to these artists as well as diversifying the chamber music genre.
Our programming is particularly impactful for New Orleans’ youth, where 62.2% of students are low-income and 80% represent communities of color.
Through exceptional music education, we help to create opportunities and provide access to artistic enrichment in underserved communities.
Lyrica Baroque is a three-time winner of Best Chamber Music Performance in Gambit Magazine’s Tribute to the Classical Arts. We have performed tours across the Gulf South and beyond. We pride ourselves equally on our artistic excellence as well as thoughtful, creative, collaborative programming.
Use of Funds
Chamber music is a unique educational tool that calls upon young people to exercise their voices, make their own musical choices, and problem solve through effective communication.
Interest from the Barbara Strauss Philleo Restricted Reserve Fund will support young artists participating in NOLA Chamber Festival. Created by Lyrica Baroque in 2014, the festival encourages student participants to make real artistic decisions and deepen their creative expression through tempo, dynamics, phrasing, and performing via ensemble cues, without a conductor or leader. NOLA Chamber Fest provides a venue for these young musicians to hone their skills as individual performers while learning the values of teamwork and the shared responsibilities that go along with playing in ensembles. Students learn professional development, mentorship, and are provided networking opportunities that can help launch musical careers.
Opportunities to Give
Show your support for young musicians by making a donation today. Lyrica Baroque suggests making a gift at one of the following levels:
Diamond
$20,000
- Private house concert featuring 2-3 musicians
- Public recognition at every NOLA Chamber Festival in perpetuity
- Public recognition at all Lyrica Baroque events in 2026 and 2027
- Named event at March 2027 Chamber Fest
- Reserved front row seating at all of our 2026 and 2027 concert events
- Two tickets to Lyrical Aair, including the patron party
- Invitation to campaign celebration reception at the end of 2026
- Name recognition on the Lyrica Baroque website
Platinum
$10,000
- Public recognition at every NOLA Chamber Festival in perpetuity
- Public recognition at all Lyrica Baroque events in 2026 and 2027
- Invitation to a private thank you reception
- Named event at March 2027 Chamber Fest
- Reserved front row seating at all of our 2026 and 2027 concert events
- Two tickets to Lyrical Aair, including the patron party
- Invitation to campaign celebration reception at the end of 2026
- Name recognition on the Lyrica Baroque website
Gold
$5,000
- Public Recognition at our 2027 NOLA Chamber Music Festival
- Reserved seating at all of our 2026 and 2027 concert events
- Invitation to campaign celebration reception at the end of 2026
- Name recognition on the Lyrica Baroque website
Silver
$3,000
- Public Recognition at our 2027 Chamber Music Festival
- Reserved seating at all of our 2027 events
- Invitation to campaign celebration reception at the end of 2026
- Name recognition on the Lyrica Baroque website
Sapphire
$1,000
- Public Recognition at our 2027 Chamber Music Festival
- Invitation to campaign celebration reception at the end of 2026
- Invitation to a private thank you reception
Bronze
$500
- Invitation to campaign celebration reception at the end of 2026
- Invitation to a private thank you reception
Or contact Jaren Atherholt to learn more.
504.220.4605
jaren@lyricabaroque.com
Thank you to our Donors
BARBARA STRAUSS PHILLEO ESTATE
THE FREEMAN CHALLENGE
Drs. Ranney and Emel Songu Mize
Crawford and Jamie Philleo
Jaren Strauss Atherholt
The Dwight and Sheila Cureaux McGhee Foundation
Sharon and Ed Cassiere
David and Kathy Levy
Margaret and Wade Shields
Dawn and Scott Hale
Edward J. Lewis, III
Courtney-Anne Sarpy
Fred and Ivy Kushner
Tim Sawyier
John and Sue Ann Power
Shari and Bill Howard
Prescott and Celia Deininger
Gloria and Mario Palacios
Anthony Currera
Andrés Rodriguez and Miriam Brown