Colburn School Receives $16.6 Million Gift for its Conducting Program  

The landmark gift from the Negaunee Foundation will support the Negaunee Conducting Program led by Esa-Pekka Salonen

Los Angeles’ Colburn School has received a $16.6 million gift in perpetuity from The Negaunee Foundation to endow the Negaunee Conducting Program. The program is led by renowned composer and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, who is Colburn School’s Chair of Conducting Studies.

This is the largest gift ever made to a California institution by The Negaunee Foundation. The funding will support the continuity of the Negaunee Conducting Program, which was founded in 2018 to provide a select group of students known as Salonen Fellows to prepare for international careers with Salonen’s direct mentorship. 

Additionally, Mert Yalniz has been selected as a 2024/25 Salonen Fellow, joining current Fellow Aleksandra Melaniuk, as well as the roster of Colburn Artists — an in-house management program for Colburn students beginning their professional careers.

In the upcoming season, the Salonen Fellows will collaborate with the San Francisco Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. 

“The Colburn School is honored to receive The Negaunee Foundation's transformative $16.6 million gift, endowing our Conservatory of Music’s conducting program,” said Colburn’s President and CEO, Sel Kardan in a press release. “This extraordinarily generous contribution underscores Colburn School’s commitment to providing unparalleled educational opportunities. The program, led by the esteemed Esa-Pekka Salonen, ensures that aspiring conductors receive exceptional training and mentorship, both academically and through real-world experiences.”

“For generations, artists and artisans have learned through apprenticeship, committing themselves to their craft for years at a time in order to learn through direct experience and mentorship,” Salonen added. “In doing so, they become part of a lineage of masters, each with their own schools of thought and repertoire of techniques.

“Those distinct artistic lineages in turn ensure a diversity of expression, and with it an assurance that their field remains in a constant state of vibrant evolution,” Salonen continued. “The conservatory is one of the few places where this sort of artistic mentorship is still possible, and it was something that absolutely shaped me in my youth and continues to guide me today. I am deeply grateful to The Negaunee Foundation for supporting this program from the very beginning. With this new and generous gift, we hope to make the Negaunee Conducting Program into the foremost conducting apprenticeship, finding talented individuals, regardless of their age or where they are in their studies, and nurturing that talent to share with the world.”

“The conducting program is exceptional in how it caters to a conductor’s specific needs while fostering a close relationship with Esa-Pekka Salonen, who is open and willing to answer any question, often casually mentioning insights that change your entire outlook,” said ​​former Salonen Fellow Ross Collins. “Salonen always makes you feel like an important part of the team, and his mentorship and support continue long after the program ends.”

Further, the Colburn School will now house and make available to its fellows and students Salonen’s extensive score collection, which includes over 1,400 annotated orchestra scores from his career, including works by contemporary composers and his original compositions. 

“The Salonen Fellows’ education is not limited to the Colburn campus but extends around the world as they travel with Esa-Pekka and gain first-hand experience,” commented the Colburn School’s Dean Lee Cioppa. The gift from The Negaunee Foundation ensures that these immensely valuable educational opportunities will continue to be available to our students. In addition, Esa-Pekka’s decision to entrust his extensive score collection to Colburn reflects his deep dedication to our institution, enriching the educational experience for generations to come.”