Gift of $150,000 bestowed on Moores School of Music

New scholarship fund will assist undergraduate and graduate violin students

The Moores School of Music has received a $150,000 gift from the estate of Lorna Megan DeLancey to create the Michael Wilkomirski Endowed Violin Scholarship Fund.

Ms. DeLancey, who passed away in 2002, established in her will the endowment to honor teacher and concert violinist Michael Wilkomirski under whom she studied the violin as a private student.

The purpose of the endowment is to provide scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students studying violin at the Moores School of Music where Wilkomirski served on the faculty before the university became a public institution in 1963.

“We have a strong violin program and a gift, such as this, provides assistance to excellent undergraduate and graduate violinists who are essential to our orchestra program,” said David Ashley White, director of the Moores School of Music.

Wilkomirski also enjoyed a lengthy and illustrious career with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and with several European classical music companies. After a brief retirement, he joined the Houston Symphony Orchestra where he served as a concert violinist for 13 years. Mr. Wilkomirski died on December 22, 1988.

“The Michael Wilkomirski Endowed Violin Scholarship ensures that his legacy as both a teacher and musician will live on at the Moores School of Music,” remarked Dean John W. Roberts. “We are extremely grateful to Ms. DeLancey for her generosity toward our students.”