$2 million gift to UCLA Arts establishes endowed chair in performance studies
Elaine Krown Klein’s donation to Herb Alpert School of Music builds on decades of support
Expanding her longstanding support of the arts at UCLA, visual artist and philanthropist Elaine Krown Klein has made a $2 million gift to establish The Leo M. Klein and Elaine Krown Klein Chair in Performance Studies in UCLA’s Department of Music to honor her late husband, Leo M. Klein.
The establishment of this endowed chair -- the first in the history of the Music Department -- will be transformative, supporting a distinguished faculty member who is not only an accomplished researcher and musician but who has demonstrated excellence in teaching and student mentorship. In addition, the Klein Chair will support live performance, research, festivals, recordings, conferences, touring, multimedia collaborations and other school-wide initiatives that integrate performance and scholarship. It will increase the prestige of what is already an internationally significant program and burnish the department’s reputation as an innovative center for the training of the “thinking musician.”
This gift has special significance for Mrs. Krown Klein.
“I wanted to establish something in memory of my husband, Leo,” she explains. “He loved music so much. Over the years, we enjoyed many wonderful performances together at the School and had the great fortune to be exposed to countless music students of extraordinary talent and promise. So, I thought establishing an endowed chair to help foster excellence in musical performance for years to come would be a good way to remember him and celebrate our shared love of music.”
“Elaine’s generous gift will have an enduring impact on the study and practice of musical performance at UCLA,” said Christopher Waterman, dean of the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture. “Increasing the number of endowed chairs across the School is one of our top priorities for the Centennial Campaign. I am so grateful to Elaine for her continued investment in the future of our school and our students.”
Mrs. Krown Klein’s passion for philanthropy was ignited in the mid 1950s when she was invited to join The Affiliates of UCLA, a university service group composed of prominent women from the Los Angeles community. When the Affiliates established a student scholarship endowment fund, she quickly became an outspoken advocate for the arts – encouraging expanded support to students. Building on this commitment and enthusiasm, Elaine became a loyal supporter of the School of the Arts and Architecture. In 1986, she and her late husband established The Elaine Krown Klein Fine Arts Scholarship Fund to provide financial support to students across all of the arts in the School. Over the past 27 years, Elaine’s scholarship has supported nearly 200 students.
“Elaine has been one of the School’s most steadfast supporters,” says Dean Waterman.
“For nearly three decades, her Scholarship Fund has supported countless aspiring artists, architects, designers, dancers and musicians. Elaine’s passion for the arts and commitment to the encouragement of young artists has cultivated a truly extraordinary living legacy: her scholars comprise a network of emerging and accomplished artists who span the globe and who share a heartfelt connection to this amazing woman who has expressed a genuine interest in their work and provided them with the encouragement to pursue their passions as students.”
A Los Angeles native and only child raised by a single mother who was not able to financially support her own early passion for making art, Krown Klein attributes her nascent love for practicing art to the wonderful teachers who encouraged her artistic expression as a young child and who provided her with resources to explore her interest, despite her family’s financial limitations. While she was not able to afford formal artistic training until much later in life, these formative years instilled in her a profound appreciation for the struggle that young artists encounter and an unyielding desire to encourage them to follow their passions, regardless of financial capability.
For Elaine, philanthropy is about more than writing a check. It is about providing sustained encouragement to the individuals she supports and cultivating a legacy of generosity. Her hope is that as her scholars go through life they, too, will extend a helping hand to a young artist in need of support and encouragement.
“My heart is in the arts. I couldn’t live without music and art. I am very proud and happy that I can provide this kind of encouragement and support to young artists and scholars. I never dreamed I could do something like this – this little girl who couldn’t afford to buy a paintbrush when I was young. So, it makes me proud to leave a little image in the sand of time when I’m gone.”
This spring, Dean Waterman and the School of the Arts and Architecture will host current and past Elaine Krown Scholars at a celebratory event commemorating 27 years of the Elaine Krown Klein Fine Arts Scholarship. This quarter century reunion will feature performances by Krown Klein scholars and provide the special opportunity for this community – from all over the globe – to come together to honor the extraordinary commitment that Elaine Krown Klein has demonstrated to the education of young artists.