Donors and their vision
In October of 2023, Director of Development Mark Kaczmarczyk received a communication from two children of a music alumni; from one initial zoom meeting was born an exciting, new piano festival.
Elizabeth Lee Huang (MM’63, piano), was a gifted pianist who left her home of Thailand at 16 to travel the world, before arriving in the United States to further her musical education at the School of Music. Following graduation, Elizabeth worked in Nashville for most of her career, first for WPLN radio in Nashville, and then as a translator for patients at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. When Elizabeth passed in 2022, two of her children, Mark Huang and Cynthia Huang-Pollock began exploring ways to create a lasting legacy for their mother by honoring her education at the UofL.
Mark and Cynthia then met with Dr. Anna Petrova, Associate Professor of piano at the School of Music, about how they could best contribute to music education at the UofL. Through a series of thoughtful conversations, they decided to establish the Elizabeth Lee Huang Piano Endowment, which will support an annual festival and competition for precollege piano students, aged 14-18. Mark and Cynthia supplied the impetus, Dr. Anna Petrova brought her expertise and collaborated on refining the long-term vision and logistics, and Director of Development Mark Kaczmarczyk brought everyone together to execute the shared vision. A roster of national guest artists will gather November 9th and 10th in Comstock Hall for a series of master classes with students, recitals, and a winner’s performance on Sunday, November 10th. Mark and Cynthia are thrilled to see this project come to fruition: “The musical arts reflect some of the highest achievements of a society, and we are honored by the opportunity to support the University of Louisville School of Music in their endeavors.”