Recent gifts

The kickoff of the "44 Keys for Support"

The kickoff of the "44 Keys for Support"

The School of Music is thrilled to announce the kickoff of the "44 Keys for Support" fundraising project to raise the sum of $440,000 to help UVic pay for its 62 new Steinway and Steinway-designed pianos. Each gift of $10,000 or more will help to purchase our pianos and will elevate the benefactor to the status of a "Key Supporter".

Our #1 Key Supporter is someone who is well known to the Victoria arts community, someone who deeply loves and appreciates music…..Mrs. Lois Voigt Stockey. In addition to having a plaque mounted on one of our new practice room pianos commemorating this leadership gift, we have also presented Lois with a copy of "People & Pianos: A pictorial history of Steinway & Sons", a book that tells the story of the Steinways. The entire faculty, staff and all our grateful students thank Lois so very, very much for so willingly supporting our fundraising campaign and for being our first "Key Supporter"!

Because we think the provision of these quality instruments for our students is an achievement our entire community can be proud of, and a commitment to excellence that no other music school in Canada has yet made, we are very hopeful that many music lovers in Victoria will help us with our goal. Please read more about ways to help us keep our exceptional students practicing and performing on these quality pianos. We can't do it without you.

• Launch of the new "Steinway project website"
  Help us reach our goal of raising $440,000

Audain's $2-million gift a boon to visual arts

Audain's $2-million gift a boon to visual arts

Visual Arts students at the University of Victoria will benefit from a $2-million gift from BC art philanthropist Michael Audain and the Audain Foundation. The gift will establish the Audain Professorship in Contemporary Art Practice of the Pacific Northwest, bringing a distinguished practicing artist to teach in UVic's Department of Visual Arts.

• The full story can be read on line in the "The RING"

Protti Donation

Protti Donation

School of Music

April 2009

A cash gift of $25,000 ($5,000 annually) has been pledged to the School of Music by Ray and Sheila Protti, two long-term

Ray Protti was formerly a senior public servant in Ottawa where he held several positions at the deputy minister level. More recently, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Bankers Association in Toronto. At present, he sits on several boards – including chairing the UVic board of governors – and does some consulting. Long interested in the arts, he has served on the board of Opera Lyra Ottawa and was the first chair of Theatrefront in Toronto.

Sheila Protti most recently worked as a freelance editor in Ottawa and Toronto. Previously, she taught music to preschoolers and also led music workshops for young children at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. She was instrumental in founding the Opera Lyra Ottawa Boys Choir and was its first chairperson. Her lifelong interest in music was nurtured at an early age by concerts of the Victoria Symphony in the gym of Cowichan District High School in Duncan.

After an initial enquiry to our Development Officer, Karen Walker, and meetings with Benjamin Butterfield, Gerry King (Director) and Sarah Blackstone (Dean), the Prottis felt they could make the most difference with their donation allocated in the following ways:

• A gift of $3,000 annually for one or more scholarships for students in the area of greatest need in the School of Music;
• A gift of $2,000 annually to support one or more guest artists to come to the School of Music to give a lecture, performance, master class or similar enrichment of music students.

It is wonderful having such caring people to work with, and I know we all – students, staff and faculty – feel grateful for their interest and support. Thank you so much, Ray and Sheila!

UVic takes it up an octave

UVic takes it up an octave

Canadian jazz musician Diana Krall plays one, and so does Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang. Now, thanks to a partnership between the University of Victoria (UVic) and Steinway & Sons - the first of its kind in Canada - all of the music students and faculty at UVic will be playing on Steinway-designed pianos. University of Victoria music student Yuki Tampo-Hinton (pictured above) plays a concert grand "D" Steinway piano - one of UVic's 60 new Steinway-designed pianos. UVic has just been named Canada's first All-Steinway School. Photo credit: Gary McKinstry

• Launch of the new "Steinway project website"
  Help us reach our goal of raising $440,000
    
• media realease: UVic takes it up an octave