GALVANIZING FORCE 

It’s clear that the City of Lake Forest’s new forester, Kelly Bougher, values the responsibilities of her job.

Mary Galvin’s father, Mike Barnes, was a gifted amateur musician with a perfect ear for music and ability to play any instrument. Inspired by her father, Mary took up the violin while growing up in Chicago, and her love for the arts never wavered. In 1985, she and the late Geoffrey Fushi launched the Chicago-based Stradivari Society, dedicated to the preservation and pursuit of excellence in classical music by identifying the world’s most promising youth artists and uniting them with the superb rare, antique Italian instruments they need to help begin and sustain their professional careers thanks to generous donors.

On August 30, 2025, Galvin attended an extraordinary concert commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Stradivari Society at the Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall at Northwestern University (her alma mater).

“The essence of the Stradivari Society was reflected not only in the remarkable performances and extraordinary musicians, but also in the realization that a vision articulated 40 years ago was transformed into a tangible reality,” recalls Galvin, a longtime Barrington resident whose late husband, Robert Galvin, served as CEO of Motorola from 1959-1986.

“A blend of thoughts and feelings filled my mind as I returned home that night,” Galvin says. “I observed the musicians who, in the youth, embarked on their musical journey with the Stradivari Society. They stood before me as adult performers that night, celebrated and recognized worldwide.”

“Music possesses,” she continues, “remarkable power, and I remain as enthusiastic now as I was in 1985 regarding the enduring spirit that exists within the ideals of the Stradivari Society.”

The top-tier, legendary Midori, a Japanese-born American violinist, was loaned the 1735 “David” Guarneri del Gesù violin when she was 10, marking the beginning of the Stradivari Society’s prestigious instrument loan program. She made her debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11. Now the artistic director of the Ravinia Steans Music Institute Piano & Strings program in Highland Park, Midori was one of two recipients of the John D. Rockefeller III Award by the Asian Cultural Council in 2022.

“Our aim was to assist in launching careers that might otherwise be obstructed by the prohibitive costs of antique Italian instruments,” Galvin says. “However, our mission extended beyond mere access; it was about fostering synergy between the artist and the instrument. We sought to create an environment in which musicians could cultivate their sound in extraordinary ways, facilitated by these invaluable historical instruments.”

“It brings happiness to know that the concert hall, this architectural gem with admirable acoustics overlooking the lake with skyscrapers in the background that appear as guardians, will serve well to promote art,” says Galvin. “When it first opened (in 2015), the thought that immortal music and performances by renowned artists would resonate within that auditorium added to the significance of the experience.

“Each time I return, it is always an emotional experience.”

“My husband was a passionate visionary and a curious person with a focus on the present while oriented towards the future,” Galvin says. “He held a significant presence in my personal life and served as a source of inspiration in my philanthropic endeavors. He maintained a connection to music, demonstrating profound listening skills alongside a notable sensibility.”

Galvin is a mother, a grandmother, and a great-grandmother who loves movies, watching musicals on television, reading, working out, and travel. Her days in Barrington—”a dynamic, sophisticated, and artistically engaged community,” she says—include, weather permitting, a walk around her property.

“Family is my joy and one of my many blessings,” she says. “I take immense pride in each of their unique qualities and accomplishments, and I find great happiness in being part of their journeys.”

“Keep moving,” she advises. “And engage in actions as though they have the potential to effect significant change in the world. Doing so marks the initial phase of transformation.”

See stradivarisociety.com for more information. To donate, visit friendsofthestradivarisociety.org.