Florida International University receives record $10 million gift for its music school
.jpg "Herbert and Nicole Wertheim gave a $10 million gift to Florida International University to enhance the school’s performing arts programs. The Miami couple have donated millions to FIU over the years for many of its schools and programs.")
Florida International University received the largest gift ever made to a music school in the State University System of Florida, according to FIU.
Herbert and Nicole Wertheim donated a $10 million naming gift to the FIU School of Music, which is part of the College of Communication, Architecture + the Arts.
The philanthropic couple wants to see the university establish new programs to boost the music school’s reputation and brand.
“This gift expresses our continuing passion for and commitment to FIU, our extraordinary hometown university — and the importance of the performing arts, an essential aspect of quality of life,” Herbert Wertheim said in a statement. “This gift to support FIU’s dynamic performing arts programs will leverage previous investments we have made in health and business, resulting in enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration between areas and impacts that will benefit our students and community.”
The gift will support music and theater programs. The money will fund scholarships, aid in curriculum development, help add faculty and staff, develop master classes, international competitions, and provide other enhancements to the facility, FIU said.
The endowment also is aimed at bringing in guest artists for performances and mentoring. “Soul Man” singer Sam Moore, of Sam & Dave fame, for instance, is already a member of the FIU music school team as an artist in residence.
“The Wertheims also envision engaging international talent who have ties to Miami, such as DJ Khaled, Pharrell Williams, Julio Iglesias, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Jennifer Lopez, Andy Garcia and Danny Pino,” FIU said in a news release.
“For decades, Herbert, Nicole and their daughters Erica Wertheim Zohar and Vanessa Wertheim, have been champions for FIU. They inspire with their vision and they help us excel,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg. “Their philanthropy and commitment have helped students attain a better future, strengthened research, and enhanced FIU’s impact.”
Added Brian Schriner, dean of the Communications School: “The Wertheims represent a transformative commitment to the performing arts in South Florida and beyond.”
The Communications School has about 4,000 students, 400 of whom are in the performing arts, according to FIU..
The Wertheims have been benefactors of FIU for more than three decades. Named institutions at FIU include: the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, the Herbert & Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center, and the Wertheim Plant Research and Teaching Conservatory.
Some record gifts to music schools include a $55 million endowment to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia from Nina von Maltzahn in 2016, and $100 million to Yale University’s School of Music in Connecticut from an anonymous donor in 2005, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.
This story was originally published December 6, 2019 at 8:14 AM.
