About the Maestro Foundation
About the Maestro Foundation
The Maestro Foundation nurtures young classical musicians and encourages the appreciation of classical music.
Board of Directors
Robert Cutietta
Marvin Jubas
Ronald Lebel
Aaron Mendelsohn
501(c)3 status
Established as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit charity in 1984, the Maestro Foundation has been granted tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. Therefore, all, or substantially all, of any contributions made toward membership should be tax-deductible as a charitable contribution. Tax ID # 95-3894013
Our History
The Maestro Foundation was established in 1984 by three music-loving businessmen; V. Shannon Clyne, Qamar Lodhie and Aaron Mendelsohn. They came together to help one promising young musician in pursuit of his career. Since then, Maestro’s mission has expanded steadily to help many young musicians in need of support.
In 1989, Chairman Aaron Mendelsohn began presenting concerts in his residence designed specifically for chamber music. With a goal of raising funds to support gifted musicians, the Maestro Chamber Music Society has since evolved into one of the pre-eminent series of its kind. Many of these private concerts have been broadcast on Classical K-USC and National Public Radio’s “Performance Today,” heard on more than 100 stations nationwide.
The Maestro Foundation has established distinct programs, awarded scholarships, and provided assistance for local music programs in support of classical musicians. In 2000, the Instrument Lending Program began acquiring professional quality bows and instruments to help young musicians pursue their career goals. The Instrument Endowment Fund was created to facilitate these acquisitions.
In 2003, music teachers Peter Park and John Redfield started an elementary string orchestra funded by Maestro. The Elemental Strings Program was created to encourage students to continue their involvement in music through Middle and High School.
In 2004, the Maestro Foundation launched the Maestro Chamber Music Academy (MCMA), a program providing unique chamber music mentoring to promising young musicians. Musical traditions passed from one generation to the next as participants studied and performed chamber music alongside prominent professionals. MCMA mentors included violinists Arnold Steinhardt and Ani Kavafian, pianists Ralf Gothóni and Ricardo Castro, the Ysaye Quartet and many others. This innovative approach to coaching has inspired local musical education institutions to create similar opportunities.
For 25 years, the Maestro Foundation has dedicated its resources to nurturing young musicians and audiences. We pride ourselves on the achievements and efficiency of our programs and our effective use of funds. This is the result of our handpicked Board of Directors, our dedicated staff and our relentless pursuit of synergy.
Performance Highlights
Highlights of the Maestro Foundation’s past nineteen seasons include performances by:
| The Altenberg Trio | Nokothula Ngwenyama, viola |
| The Angeles Quartet | Garrick Ohlsson, piano |
| Emmanuel Ax, piano | Richard O'Neill, viola |
| Margaret Batjer, violin | Opus One |
| Yefim Bronfman, piano | Jean-Claude Pennetier, Piano |
| Martin Chalifour, violin | The Schubert Ensemble |
| Paul Galbraith, guitar | Abram Shtem, violin |
| Richard Goode, piano | Arnold Steinhardt, violin |
| Leon Fleisher, piano | The Takacs Quartet |
| Lynn Harrell, cello | The Tokyo Quartet |
| Dick Hyman, piano | The Ysaye Quartet |
| Ani Kavafian, violin | Michele Zukovsky, clarinet |
| Ronald Leonard, cello | |
| Ida Levin, violin |
Photo Credits:
MCMA: Kathryn Ballsun
Miralles "Lebel" Viola: Kathryn Ballsun
Instrument Creation: Brenda Miralles
MCMA 2: Kathryn Ballsun
Elemental Strings 2: Kathryn Ballsun