ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A $5 million donation will establish an endowment fund and support internationally recognized artists and performances with the University Musical Society.
Given by University of Michigan alumni Eileen Weiser and Richard “Dick” Caldarazzo, the gift is the largest the program has ever received since its creation in 1879.
Recommended Videos
“The performing arts are precious to both of us for the haven they provide from everyday life. We treasure how the arts challenge us, make us laugh or cry, provoke new thoughts and ideas while lifting up our emotions. They are essential to creating tolerance, strengthening our humanity, and helping people find balance in our increasingly complex world,” Weiser said in a release.
Weiser and Caldarazzo’s donation will allow the music society to create the Weiser Caldarazzo Iconic Artists Endowment Fund.
It will also support two performances every season that will bring present-day musical icons to Ann Arbor.
Currently, Weiser serves on the UMS Campaign Counci and the U-M’s School of Education Dean’s Advisory Council. She has previously served on numerous boards supporting education and student enrichment.
Her previous gifts to UMS helped to bring performers like Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos and Itzhak Perlman to Tree Town. Her passion for the performing arts runs deep and she holds piano performance degrees from both the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.
“The University Musical Society has provided amazing performance opportunities for 146 years. We are grateful that we can help ensure that tradition of excellence for the future, both for the performers they nurture and the joy they bring to our community,” Caldarazzo said.
A tried and true Wolverine, Caldarazzo played in the 1970 Rose Bowl under the direction of Bo Schembechler.
“As all of us at UMS look forward to our 150th season in 2028-29, and all the exciting things we are planning, it is incredibly gratifying to have this extraordinary commitment from Eileen Weiser and Dick Caldarazzo — two fervent believers in the arts and culture, UMS, and the University of Michigan,” said UMS president Matthew VanBesien. “Their support helps ensure we can always invite the world’s most iconic and important artists and ensembles to perform on our stages and for the benefit of our students and the broader community.”
This year’s UMS season runs from June 2024 through April 2025, and includes performances from Etienne Charles, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Isata Kanneh-Mason, the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Branford Marsalis Quartet and many more.