Sten and Lucille Halfvarson

Lucille and Sten Halfvarson met in 1939 at a faculty meeting in Aurora, IL. Sten was teaching at West Aurora High School, and Lucille had just arrived from Knox College to teach music in the grade schools. In 1946, when Sten returned from a World War II stint in the Army Air Corps, they decided to get married.

When their children were young, Lucille directed the Our Savior Lutheran and Westminster Presbyterian choirs in Aurora and taught voice. “There was music in the house all the time. I used to … give lessons with a baby in my arms. You know, the child would peer into my mouth while I would be demonstrating a technique. They really grew up with it.'' The Halfvarson daughters, Laura, Linnea and Mary, have a life-long love and semi-professional interest in the arts, and their son, Eric, is an internationally renowned opera singer.

Sten built an active choral program at Aurora West High School. He was awarded an Illinois Music Educator Award in 1974, and in 1968 he conducted the All-State Chorus in Dijon, France.

Sten was a driving force behind reviving the Fox Valley Orchestra, which had disbanded during WWII. “A lot of the players had been drafted, and those who weren`t had a hard time getting to rehearsals because of gas rationing.  So, after the war…I gave them $75 pocket money to organize a mailing and we helped get the symphony going again.”

Lucille assembled her first community choir which performed Schubert`s Mass in G in 1967.  The following fall, she produced Aurora`s first ''Do-It-Yourself Messiah'' to overwhelming popular response. It became an annual holiday tradition.

The Halfvarsons were also instrumental in the renovation of the Paramount Theatre as a performing arts venue. Then mayor, Al McCoy, asked the Halfvarsons to co-chair a citizen’s committee to raise $250,000. For the 1978 grand opening, the Halfvarsons pulled-together the United Arts Chorus of 10 different arts groups, to create a community chorus. The Halfvarsons’ production of Haydn`s ''The Creation'' was a roaring success. Eric Halfvarson sang the bass solo part, Lucille directed a chorus of 250 singers and Sten conducted a 50-piece orchestra for the sold-out show. The arts groups that participated in the event formed the now defunct United Arts Board (UAB), which mailed quarterly arts calendars and presented an annual outdoor arts festival.

The Halfvarsons taught at the Merit Music School from 1979-1993. Merit provides an in-school music program; an audition-based Conservatory, and private lessons. In 2000, the couple received honorary doctoral degrees from Aurora University.

Sven passed away in 2003 and Lucille in 2010. The Sten & Lucille Halfvarson Endowment Fund was formed at the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley through a grant from the A+ Foundation for West Aurora Schools and gifts from friends and colleagues. The purpose of the endowment is to strengthen the vocal arts in West Aurora School District 129.