A Missouri couple has given $1.4 Million to the University of Missouri to continue new-music programs at the university. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield, of Westphalia, Missouri, have given the gift to continue to expand the Mizzou New Music Initiative and the Creating Original Music Project at MU. MU Chancellor Brady Deaton announced the gift at the annual MU Chancellor’s Concert Monday night.
In 2009, the Sinquefields donated $1 Million to MU to expand university scholarships, ensembles, and faculty support. To continue the work, the Sinquefields are giving $1.4 million over the next three years. Rex Sinquefield also frequently contributes to conservative and libertarian political efforts in Missouri .
“At MU, we are dedicated to promoting the proliferation of the arts,” said MU Chancellor Brady Deaton. “The Sinquefields’ gifts and vision have helped position the university as a leader in the education and creation of new music and we are grateful for their generosity.”
Since the program has started, more than 300 new pieces of music have been written, performed and recorded. The vision for the initiative is to create an incubator for the composition and performance of new music, and to position Missouri as a major center for the music of tomorrow.
