Professor Jeffrey Milarsky with the Columbia University Orchestra. Photo by Alida Rose Delaney.

The Columbia University Orchestra has been given a transformational $1
million gift from an anonymous donor. The donor requests that the gift be
used for the CUO to perform in Alice Tully Hall or another concert hall
each semester for a major concert presentation. This gift will fund the
CUO in this regard for the next decade.

The gift will build upon and enhance the Columbia University Orchestra’s
reputation as an ensemble of great skill and purpose. Founded by
composer Edward MacDowell in 1896, the CUO is the oldest continually
operating university orchestra in the United States. This gift will be the
cornerstone of an initiative to expose Columbia students to performing in
the great concert halls within New York City.

The generosity of the donor will impact generations of students at
Columbia College, Barnard College, College of Physicians and Surgeons,
Earth and Environmental Engineering, General Studies, Fu Foundation of
Engineering and Sciences, School of International and Public Affairs,
School of the Arts, School of Professional Studies, and Teachers’ College.
It will also enhance the enduring legacy of Edward MacDowell and what
he created many years ago. The opportunity opens new doors, new
sounds, and new experiences. Most importantly it will provide a lifetime
experience and the gift of music.