“A California philanthropist has given $5 million to the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the largest individual donation in the 49-year-old organization’s history,” writes Charles Passy in Wednesday’s (9/12) Wall Street Journal (subscription required). “Ann S. Bowers, a Silicon Valley veteran, made the gift to support the society’s CMS Two program, which provides young artists a three-season residency with the organization as a steppingstone for their careers. In recognition of the contribution, CMS Two is being renamed the Bowers Program. David Finckel and Wu Han, the society’s co-artistic directors, said they got to know Ms. Bowers through their work at Music@Menlo, a chamber festival they founded in the San Francisco area. The two said that Ms. Bowers, a chamber-music fan, was eager to find ways to support emerging talent…. In her professional career, Ms. Bowers held positions at Apple Inc. and Intel Corp. She was also married to the late Intel founder Robert Noyce. The society … has a $9 million annual budget…. It is trying to boost its profile, including through increased touring. Chamber Music America, a national service organization, says that since 2000, its membership ranks have increased by 48% to 977 ensembles.”
Posted September 12, 2018
