Giving to Music
Sidebar
The most meaningful connections are often built through shared experiences. At the University of Louisville School of Music, music serves as a powerful catalyst for bringing people together—students, alumni, donors, and community members alike. In every performance, masterclass, and educational opportunity, we create moments that inspire, connect, and transform lives.
The School of Music offers more than exceptional concerts. We are preparing the next generation of performers, educators, composers, and arts leaders while enriching Louisville’s cultural landscape through world-class artistic experiences. By bringing renowned guest artists, Grammy Award-winning performers, and distinguished faculty to our campus, we provide students with unparalleled opportunities to learn, grow, and excel.
Give to the School of Music
The impact is already evident. In the past season more than 10,000 people engaged with School of Music performances and educational programs, including school children experiencing live music for the first time at JazzFest, alumni reconnecting with their alma mater through reunion events, and community members discovering the power of classical and jazz music. From the Count Basie Jazz Orchestra to Grammy Award winning soprano Renee Fleming in her trail blazing “Music and the Mind” conversation, from the all-male a cappella group “Chanticleer” to Van Cliburn Piano Competition finalists in concert and master classes, excellence meets opportunity in Comstock Hall.
Looking ahead, our 2026–27 season has the potential to reach thousands more through expanded performances, community partnerships, and student-centered initiatives.
By investing in the University of Louisville School of Music today, you are not simply supporting performances—you are investing in students, strengthening our community, and helping shape the future of music education and artistic excellence for generations to come.
Give to the School of Music.
For further information on creating sustained impact, or a legacy gift through a planned gift in your estate, contact Mark Kaczmarczyk, Sr. Director of Advancement, at m.kacz@louisville.edu
A lasting legacy
Elizabeth Lee Huang (MM’63, piano), was a gifted pianist who left her home of Thailand at 16 to travel the world before arriving in the United States to further her musical education at the School of Music. Following graduation, Elizabeth worked in Nashville for most of her career, first for WPLN radio in Nashville, and then as a translator for patients at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. When Elizabeth passed in 2022, two of her children, Mark Huang and Cynthia Huang-Pollock, began exploring ways to create a lasting legacy for their mother by honoring her education at the UofL.
Mark and Cynthia then met with Dr. Anna Petrova, Associate Professor of piano at the School of Music, about how they could best contribute to music education at the UofL. Through a series of thoughtful conversations, they decided to establish the Elizabeth Lee Huang Piano Endowment, which will support an annual festival and competition for precollege piano students, aged 14-18. Mark and Cynthia supplied the impetus, Dr. Anna Petrova brought her expertise and collaborated on refining the long-term vision and logistics, and Director of Development Mark Kaczmarczyk brought everyone together to execute the shared vision. A roster of national guest artists gathered November 9 and 10, 2024 in Comstock Hall for a series of master classes with students, recitals, and a winner’s performance on Sunday, November 10. Mark and Cynthia are thrilled to see this project come to fruition: “The musical arts reflect some of the highest achievements of a society, and we are honored by the opportunity to support the University of Louisville School of Music in their endeavors.”
Educators inspire a path in music and in law
Rosalyn “Roz” Carothers '85, '90 loved classical music from a very young age. A pivotal moment in her musical journey came in the third grade, when a teacher handed her a violin and suggested she join the orchestra. This opportunity instilled a passion that she’s kept her entire life, leading to her joining the Jefferson County Youth Orchestra, spending several summers at Sewanee Music Camp in Tennessee, and training under the late Carol Hughes and Virginia Schneider, who developed the Suzuki Violin Program at the University of Louisville. By high school, Roz was deeply connected with the classical music community in Louisville and was given an opportunity by UofL Professor Peter McHugh to enroll a year early in the UofL School of Music.
Roz has no regrets about skipping her senior year of high school. She recalls, “I felt like Peter took a chance and opened the doorway for me to be among my people and learn from great talent within the School of Music.”
Roz excelled as a student and spent four summers at Meadowmount and one summer at the Aspen Music Festival, proudly representing the UofL School of Music. After Roz graduated with a dual major in violin and viola, she played professionally for the Louisville Orchestra and taught strings in Jefferson County Public Schools. One year later, inspired by a former high school teacher, Roz took a chance at the LSAT. Given her previous studies and talents had been focused on music, she was pleasantly surprised to have scored well, and was quickly admitted to the Brandeis School of Law. Roz recalls, “I put myself through law school while continuing to teach and to play music, an option I know is not available to students today.”
In her early years of legal practice, Roz volunteered for the Friends of the School of Music and the UofL Alumni Association, ultimately holding leadership positions in both. She has continued to give time and treasure over the years by leading the UofL School of Music Alumni Council and serving on the UofL Estate and Gift Planning Advisory Council.
Roz focuses her practice on estate-planning, probate and trust administration, and asset preservation, which has given her to opportunity to share the joy of philanthropy with clients. In 2020, Roz became a Conn Legacy Society member by adding the UofL School of Music as a beneficiary to her estate plans.
