June 1, 1999
Contact: Barbara McKenna (831) 459-2495

UCSC's $1 million Music campaign reaches goal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SANTA CRUZ, CA--An ambitious fund-raising campaign to raise $1 million to support the music program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has just reached and surpassed its goal.

The campaign was launched in May of 1997 in tandem with the dedication of the new Music Center. The gifts that have been received have established invaluable scholarship endowments, purchased instruments and equipment, and provided for other program needs.

"We are grateful to the generous donors who have supported the music program through this campaign," said Edward Houghton, dean of the Arts Division at UCSC. "In these times when funding for the arts is often difficult to secure, it is encouraging to live in a community that continuously shows how much it values the arts. The funds this campaign generates are enabling our students to use state-of-the-art equipment, benefit from special programs, and, in the case of scholarship recipients, focus more time on their music studies.

The campaign reached its goal in early May thanks to a substantial contribution from Santa Cruz County residents Mary and Richard Solari. Their donation not only put the campaign over its goal, but made it possible for the Music Department to purchase a Steinway concert grand piano-the cornerstone instrument in the 400-seat Recital Hall.

The campaign was launched initially with a gift from Music Campaign cochair Ernest T. "Bud" Kretschmer and his wife, the late Jean Kretschmer. Their contribution established the Ernest and Jean Kretschmer Music Scholarship Endowment. Harold "Hal" Hyde, emeritus vice chancellor of UCSC and cochair of the Music Campaign, was another major contributor. Other major donors include the late Siegfried Puknat, a retired UCSC professor whose bequest established the Siegfried B. and Elisabeth Mignon Puknat Music Endowment to support music performances; UCSC alumna Lisa Eltinge (Cowell '78); Santa Cruz residents John and Billie Mahaney, whose gift launches an innovative program of music in the local schools; and UCSC professor of economics David E. Kaun.

Contributions to the Music Campaign are still welcomed. For more information on the UCSC Music Campaign, contact Alex Sydnor, Director of Development, Division of the Arts, UC Santa Cruz, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz, CA 95064; (831) 459-3277; aasydnor@cats.ucsc.edu.

#####

Press Releases Home | Search Press Releases | Press Release Archive | Services for Journalists

Maintained by:pioweb@cats.ucsc.edu