• Phase I - Repairs and Renovations  (completed)

• Phase II – Endowment

• How You Can Help

Many students need financial assistance to attend the School’s 6-week master class. In addition to tuition expenses, they must provide their own transportation to the School and many students sacrifice their summer income. We are able to provide only a few students with assistance toward housing and food. To provide adequate scholarship opportunities for students – from all over the world – who would like to attend the school, we must establish an endowment.

An endowment will make the Monteux tradition available to tomorrow’s aspiring conductors and orchestra musicians. We invite you to help ensure the legacy.

The Monteux School is an important cultural asset of the Downeast-Frenchman Bay region. Since the School draws its sixty students from across the United States and many countries around the world, there is a ripple effect from what happens in Hancock, Maine to music-making in many parts of the world as benefits accrue to individual musicians and the ensembles of which they are a part. The total number of Monteux School alumni now totals in the thousands. Audiences at the eleven symphony and chamber concerts each season number approximately 400 people per week, for a total of 2400 each season. In addition, musicians perform at many local venues and will again present a free Children’s Concert during the 2007 season thanks to the support of the Maine Community Foundation.

Maureen Giroux Memorial Garden and Forest Studio.

Phase I – Repairs and Renovations (completed)

Nestled in the woods near the shore of Taunton Bay in Eastern Maine, the Pierre Monteux School has been bringing conductors and orchestra musicians together for intensive study and preparation for professional careers for over 60 years. Founded by the legendary symphony conductor and Hancock resident, Pierre Monteux, the School immerses students in a uniquely intimate and intense experience and also offers top quality concerts to the community at large. Three years ago the trustees and “Friends of the Monteux School” embarked on a Campaign for the Future of the Pierre Monteux School to preserve, renovate, repair, enhance, and provide the School with the physical facilities and endowment to assure that it can continue to serve future generations of conducting students and orchestra musicians from around the world.

The School’s first ever capital campaign addressed the completion of renovations and expansion of the Forest Studio, renovation of existing student housing, plus a complete refurbishing of our 1924 Baldwin piano. Phase I of the campaign was completed as of June 2007. We have had generous support from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation and the Davis Family Foundation for a number of these renovations. In addition, generous gifts from the Giroux and Devenish families led to the building of a memorial garden and a new rehearsal studio.

The Forest Studio Renovation

Forest Studio

• We have been able to retain most of the original building and the camp-style of the 56-year-old Forest Studio. We have replaced the foundation, installed a new septic system and bathrooms, incorporated a new porch into the hall itself (augmenting the audience seating by almost 100), added fire exits and ramps to provide handicap access, shingled the entire exterior, and built a larger backstage area incorporating space for the music library and instrument storage. Replacement of the roof is expected to be completed this fall. Student Housing • The majority of students are housed in rented summer homes in the area. Others are housed in rustic accommodations at the School. Appropriate and affordable rental housing has become increasingly difficult to secure. The existing facilities on the school grounds have been renovated and restored to serviceable function.

Phase II – Endowment

The current campaign focuses on building an endowment for student scholarships and guest artists. In recent years, the Pierre Monteux School has served 50+ students each summer in its six-week intensive program. Approximately 20 of these are conducting students. All are expected to be full-time members of the orchestra, unlike many other summer programs. The program includes six Sunday concerts open to the public and five Wednesday evening chamber concerts. The School offers an unrivalled opportunity to learn a large and varied repertoire and for conductors to receive weekly rehearsal podium time and perform in the Sunday concerts. This unique aspect enables conductors to learn from both sides of the podium. Click to read some of their comments from the 2006 season.

Conducting Students    
• The cost of attending the 6-week program is high for those students who elect to study conducting in essentially a full-time master class. In addition to the standard program costs, conductors are expected to obtain all the scores in the curriculum (approximately 60 for a summer’s repertoire). Tuition and housing are covered by financial aid to the extent possible. This year the Bernard Osher Foundation has contributed funds to support full scholarships for two conductors and two instrumentalists, each of whom will be designated an Osher Scholar.

Instrumentalists
• Students who attend as instrumentalists comprise the other vital component of the learning experience, for the conductors need an orchestra to lead. Many of these students give up summer employment in local orchestras to attend the Monteux School. They not only have to provide their own transportation, housing, food, and tuition expenses, but also sacrifice their summer income. Yet many return because of the rare opportunity to study such a wide symphonic repertoire and to interact with so many fine musicians. In order to attract orchestra musicians, we need to provide scholarships and financial aid to cover as much of the expenses of the summer program as possible.

Neal Gittleman (1978-1983), Music Director Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Guest-Conductor-In-Residence, 2003

Artist-In-Residence Endowment 
• Guest artists have become a key element of each summer’s program, providing opportunities for conducting students to work with soloists and for master classes. Part of the endowment will be reserved to provide support for this valuable program.

How You Can Help

Our goal is to raise $855,000. With your help, we will ensure that the Pierre Monteux School’s extraordinary resources for conductors, instrumentalists and concert-goers will exist for generations to come. As of June 2007 we have received over $500,000 in pledges, grants, and gifts. We plan to dedicate the $355,000 balance still to be raised to bringing the endowment fund to our final goal of $400,000. Gifts of any size are sincerely appreciated.

“Donate Now”

Pledges are welcome and may be paid over three years on a quarterly, semiannual or annual schedule. We hope you’ll consider making the Pierre Monteux School a major part of your charitable giving for the next three years.

Donors choosing to give a gift of securities, real estate, annuities, a bequest or a trust may realize significant tax benefits. These and other planned gift arrangements can be made by contacting Philip Standel, Treasurer, at treasurer@monteuxschool.org.

Gifts should be made to the Pierre Monteux Memorial Foundation, recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization. All gifts to the Pierre Monteux Memorial Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

“The Pierre Monteux School - A wonderful place to learn about oneself through the study of music. A unique opportunity to share musical thoughts/emotions with so much freedom and humility. The school where Music is the Mentor!”
– Ludovic Morlot (1994-97), Assistant Conductor, Boston Symphony Orchestra

Pierre Monteux School Campaign Committee

Margaret P. Karns, Co-chair
Douglas Kimmel, Co-chair
Bill Ceckler
George Draper
Jean C. O’Meara
Kurt Wray

Honorary Campaign Co-Chairs

Michael Charry, Southwest Harbor, Maine & New York, NY
Marc David, Sainte-Julie, Quebec
Neal Gittleman, Dayton, Ohio