The Music School of Delaware has received a major boost.
Board member Dr. William J. Stegeman, has given the performing arts school $750,000, the largest gift in its history.
Stegeman is the founder and senior scientist of Pennsylvania based, Immuno Research Laboratories. He’s served on the Music School’s board since 2010 and is an adult student in violin and viola.
The Music School of Delaware’s president Kate Ransom says the donation is unprecedented.
“This is absolutely the grandest gesture of philanthropy that I have experienced in my lifetime,” she says. “It is very unusual for an individual to give to a nonprofit of the budget size and scope of the Music School of Delaware.”
Stegeman’s donation completes Phase I of the school’s capital campaign which will fund the addition of a new wing on its Wilmington campus. Phase II aims to raise money for the renovation of the school’s main concert hall which was built in 1959.
Ransom says Stegeman’s gift is an indicator of the school’s status in the region.
“It’s really a part of the fabric of the community,” she notes. “It reflects the will of the people and it serves to enhance the community for everyone.”
The Music School of Delaware was founded in 1924 and offers programs in Wilmington and Milford along with satellite locations throughout the state.
It the only statewide accredited community music school in the nation.
