Yale School of Music endows two professorships to further support music education

Balancing continuity and innovation can be tricky in a field as rich in tradition as classical music. But two new gifts from Dunard Fund USA—a private foundation that has made major contributions to organizations such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Philadelphia Orchestra—will help the School of Music do precisely that.

The Fund has donated $3 million to support a named viola professorship in honor of the late Richard D. Colburn, a noted philanthropist with a lifelong passion for music and music education.

Colburn, who passed away in 2004 at the age of 92, was an ardent amateur violist who gave generously to musical organizations around the globe. The Richard D. Colburn Professorship will commemorate Colburn’s dedication to his instrument and music education while helping the School attract and retain the finest viola faculty in perpetuity.

But in addition to permanently establishing a key faculty position in a core performance area, the foundation will also contribute $4 million over the next several years to fund a Visiting Professor in the Practice of Music—a position that will give the School unprecedented flexibility to explore new curricular options.

While the gift is intended to support visiting professors with a demonstrated academic or professional background in classical music, it is not limited to any single area of expertise. As a result, it can be used to bolster the School’s offerings in any number of subjects, from conducting and programming to recording and music pedagogy.

“It goes to our mission and the core of what we do, while at the same time allowing for experimentation,” explains José García-León, the Henry Lucy Moses Dean of the Yale School of Music.

Just as importantly, he adds, the gift will allow the School to engage experts who can complement its existing strengths, helping students make the most of their time in New Haven.

“It’s a brilliant way to allow us to have world-class faculty depending on the needs of the moment,” he says.

Dean García-León anticipates using the new position to focus on the future of classical music, helping prepare students to navigate whatever challenges might be around the corner by bringing in visiting faculty with expertise in everything from entrepreneurship to career readiness.

“It's a great opportunity for us to try different things,” he says.

One thing that will remain constant, however, is the School’s commitment to serving students.

“The priority in using gifts is always in seeing how they can help students,” says Dean García-León, who points to gifts that allowed the Yale Philharmonia to play a concert at Carnegie Hall in January. “It had a direct impact on their education, and it could only happen because of the generosity of the donors,” he says, adding that donor support also gives graduates a huge advantage as they embark on their careers by allaying student debt through full tuition scholarships and additional living stipends.

By helping to ensure an ongoing balance between stability and flexibility, the two new endowed professorships established through the generosity of the Dunard Fund will similarly benefit generations of students to come.

“We want the School to be able to meet the needs of those who are going to be leaders in the field right now and forever,” says Katherine Darr, Director of Development and Alumni Affairs. “These gifts are an investment in the future of classical music.”