There are many opportunities to support the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra, however an Endowed Chair carries with it a special significance. Whether the Endowed Chair gift bears your name, your family name, that of a friend or relative, or a group that has a special connection to the orchestra, the Endowed Chair becomes a permanent mark of recognition. Each Endowed Chair is titled according to the wishes of the donor and is so noted in all WYSO printed programs. All of the currently Endowed Chairs have been darkened in the diagram above (and the list of donors is below). All of the outlined principal and section instruments are still available to fund.
All Endowed Chair gifts will be placed with the WYSO Foundation, a companion 501 (c)(3) organization established in 1999 for the purpose of accepting and managing gifts and bequests for the benefit of WYSO.
Why consider endowing a chair? Almost 52 years after first auditioning for the WYSO charter orchestra, Bruce Matthews continues to show his support for the organization. His lead gift in the Youth Orchestra Endowed Chair program, the Bruce Matthews Principal Horn Chair, ensures current and future WYSO students continue to receive high-quality orchestral training.
“We all want to make a difference and leave a legacy,” Bruce said. “My gift to the WYSO Endowed Chair program is a way for my money to work on behalf of future generations of students in perpetuity, and having my name associated with the principal horn chair will be part of my legacy as a charter member.”
Join the growing family of WYSO leaders who have given gifts that will last a lifetime and will support WYSO in perpetuity:
John J. Frautschi Conductor’s Podium
Susan Hoeft Vandewalle Concertmaster Chair
Wilke Family Associate Concertmaster Chair
Marvin J. Levy Section Violin Chair
Miriam Schneider Memorial Section Violin Chair
Mei and Zhou Family Section Violin Chair
Andrée and John Valley Principal 2nd Violin Chair
Inhorn Family Principal Viola Chair
John and Marian Bolz Section Viola Chair
Doug and Martha Maxwell Principal Cello Chair
Marvin J. Levy Section Cello Chair
Muldowney Family Section Cello Chair
Graham Fuguitt Principal Bass Chair
Nancy Ellis Wolf Memorial Section Bass Chair
Betty Bielefeld Principal Flute Chair
Irving and Dorothy Levy Family Section Flute Chair
Marc and Marcia Fink Principal Oboe Chair
James Smith Principal Clarinet Chair
Neal Williams Section Bassoon Chair
Bruce Matthews Principal Horn Chair
Charlie Williams Section Horn Chair
Marvin J. Levy Section Trombone Chair
Vicki Peterson Jenks Principal Percussion Chair
Andrew George Section Percussion Chair
Eric Douglas Batterman Memorial Section Percussion Chair
To learn more about the Endowed Chair Initiative, contact WYSO Development Director Zack Robbins at 608-733-6283 ext. 3 or at zack@wysomusic.org.
