Sizemore Scholarship, Instrument Donation Keep Music Playing

UMKC Conservatory students benefit from family’s generous gifts

Katrinka Sizemore’s mother remembers that her daughter was so determined to play an instrument as a young child, that Katrinka convinced her aunt to give Katrinka her piano. Continue reading “Sizemore Scholarship, Instrument Donation Keep Music Playing”

A Musical Legacy

Annette Luyben continues her family’s history of supporting musicians

Anette Luyben, who grew up working in her family’s eponymous music store on Main Street in Kansas City, has lived her life surrounded by music and musicians. While the shop has moved online and narrowed its services, she continues to fuel the music community in Kansas City through gifts to the UMKC Conservatory.  Continue reading “A Musical Legacy”

Crescendo Raises More Than $650,000 for Student Scholarships

Annual benefit performance is the Conservatory’s largest fundraising event

The 2022 Crescendo event raised more than $650,000 to support Conservatory student scholarships. Approximately 1,000 people attended the gala and performance Friday evening. Continue reading “Crescendo Raises More Than $650,000 for Student Scholarships”

UMKC Professors Study the Impact of Sound on Operating Room Safety

Faculty donation leads to collaboration between professors in the School of Medicine and UMKC Conservatory to yield safer surgeries

Medicine and music aren’t an obvious pair, but in a discussion between colleagues at the UMKC Surgical Innovations Lab, experts in each field realized an interesting link between the two topics. Continue reading “UMKC Professors Study the Impact of Sound on Operating Room Safety”

Volunteer’s $1.2 Million Gift Ensures Student Support

Endowment benefits Conservatory and the Women’s Council Graduate Assistance Fund 

The late Caroline McBride French was an enthusiastic UMKC Conservatory donor and volunteer. A successful attorney in Kansas City, French was active on the Friends of the UMKC Conservatory board, a fervent supporter of Crescendo, the Conservatory’s signature fundraiser and a member of the UMKC Women’s Committee for the UMKC Conservatory. Continue reading “Volunteer’s $1.2 Million Gift Ensures Student Support”

Conservatory Celebrates 27 New Scholarships

Volunteer-led 20/20 campaign exceeds goals

The UMKC Conservatory is celebrating the creation of 27 new endowed scholarships. Thanks to a volunteer committee which triumphed during challenging times, students who may not have been able to join the ranks of Conservatory students and alumni will now have their chance. Continue reading “Conservatory Celebrates 27 New Scholarships”

UMKC Conservatory Students Benefit from Legacy of Beloved Instructor

Grassroots effort leads to memorial scholarship

The late James Rothwell had an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for creating music. A pioneer in electronic sound recording, Rothwell and his achievements are memorialized in the James A. Rothwell Scholarship Fund at the UMKC Conservatory. Continue reading “UMKC Conservatory Students Benefit from Legacy of Beloved Instructor”

Donors Strike a Chord with New Scholarships Honoring World-Renowned Faculty

Individual and foundation giving have common theme for UMKC Conservatory student success

Bobby Watson and Vinson Cole have been influential professors at the UMKC Conservatory in addition to being internationally recognized musicians. Continue reading “Donors Strike a Chord with New Scholarships Honoring World-Renowned Faculty”