Carolina Performing Arts at UNC has received a $3 million gift from an anonymous donor — the largest one-time contribution from an individual or family to CPA in its history.

“It’s a $3 million gift which, when fully funded, will allow the executive and artistic director a $150,000 discretionary fund fully at the disposal of the executive director of Carolina Performing Arts to travel, to support the booking of of major artists, for professional development,” said James Moeser, who served as the ninth chancellor in UNC’s history and for whom the donation is named after.

The multi-million dollar donation establishes the first non-faculty endowed directorship in the arts at Carolina, named for Moeser and his wife, Susan. According to the university, the funds will “support the executive and artistic director in fostering relationships on a global scale and advancing artistic excellence.” In addition, the donation comes at a critical time as the arts world continues to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I can’t say how huge it is,” Moeser told 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell. “We had to close down live performances last March and we haven’t had any live performances in venue since that time. We’ve relied totally on streaming things and virtual performances and that’s going to be our mode as we get going into the fall. We know that our audience is extremely anxious about reentering, restarting active attendance at concerts and recitals.”

UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz called the donation a “testament to the essential role that arts play at the nation’s first public university.”

“Chancellor Moeser’s investment in the arts heralded a new era at Carolina that continues to this day. Chapel Hill is a destination for world-class performers, where visiting artists integrate into the classroom and new opportunities for interdisciplinary discoveries abound,” said Guskiewicz.

Under Moeser’s leadership, UNC blossomed as an institution for the arts. Carolina’s growth at the time fostered an $18 million renovation of Memorial Hall, the founding of Carolina Performing Arts and the recruitment of CPA’s founding executive and artistic director Emil Kang.

Alison Friedman will join Carolina’s faculty as the executive and artistic director role with Carolina Performing Arts in October. She will help CPA through its 17th season and help welcome patrons back into venues for in-person experiences for the first time since March 2020.

The $3 million gift — which helped CPA exceed its $25 million fundraising goal — also counts toward the Campaign for Carolina, the university’s fundraising campaign in history launched in 2017 with a goal to raise $4.25 billion by December 2022.

For more information on the multi-million dollar anonymous gift, visit UNC’s website.

Featured image via UNC University Development

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