The Washington herald., 1919-07-04
MUSIC LOVERS
Benefit IN WILL
Benevolence of A. D.-Jul-
hard to End Struggle Of
Artists, Says Holland.

When A. d. JuIliard caused to be
inserted in his will a 6equest for the
beneht Of music lovers and Of stu
dents worthy Of instruction in music
he so established this foundation as
to be OF benefit and advantage to ali
America. II Is not to be confined to
this community. The privileges and
advantages which 1t will give are
available for students who have re-
vealed excellent capacity for musical
education and in all lines whether
vocal, instrumental or in compost
ton. "a.
When the report was published a
day or two ago telling off1cially OF
this beQuest the statement was made
that the amount Of the bequest would
certainly reach s5.0o0.oo0. The income
from that sum at per cent would be
about $4,000. and it is upon the In
come that reliance Is to be placed to
make the fund available.
Some of those who are well in
formed are of the opinion that when
the estate is probated. the inven-
tory made and the trust established.
IL will be found that the income is
nearer $1,000. 900 than s250.000. The
gift is regarded as of national i'm
portance. When this trust is es-
tablished it will no longer be neces-
sary for American girls to struggle
hard in order to meet the expenses
of musical training in Europe. Many
and even distressing have been the
experiences Of American girls whose
fvoices were deemed worthy of cul-
tivation. Two or three examples
may be here reported. which Illus
trate this point Some fifteen years
ago an American girl who was
church choir singer at Utica was
found to be possessed of an unusu-
ally fine contralto voice. She was
able by saving and by some aid to
visit Europe. There she began to
take lessons but within a year she
found herself absolutely stranded
Thereupon. being courageous and
certain that her voice if trained
would justify any reasonable ex-
penditure. she made an appeal to
Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt. After
a brief investigation Mrs Wander
bilt learned that this girl was
worthy Of assistance and advanced
81 900 TO hen This loan was fully
justified for the girl became upon
her return to the United States one
of the leading contraltos OF the
Metropolitan Opera Company. She
for a year practiced the utmost
economy and at last was able TO
return the $1,000 to Mrs. Wander
bilt.
Citizens of Albany raised funds
enough to enable a church choir
singer there to study in Europe. This
aid was fully justified. for the girl
became one of the most famous oper-
attic singers. best known by her stage
name, AlbanL
Now any American girl or young
man whose voice is pronounced by
those competent to judge as being
well worthy of cultivation. will. after
the Juilliard trust is organized, re-
ceive ample financial support so as to
complete the musical training. So.
also. those who reveal excellent prom
isc of becoming fine. even excellent
Instrumental performers, will be IN
this way aided so that they can COM
plete their studies. There are a good
many American men and perhaps
few women who while having no
special vocal or instrumental capacity
nevertheless possess unusual gift for
composition, even the higher kind OF
composition such as fugues. cannon.
counterpoint. and orchestral compost
ton. These will in due time have
abundant opportunity to continue their
studies until at last they can secure
as high perfection as possible, of their
gifts.
Mr.. billiards request Is now spoken
Of as making it certain that the
United States will in the course of
time take equal rank with France.
Germany or Great Britain, even with
Italy. as music-loving and a musical
expert nation. Those who know say
that there is no doubt of the real
fondness Of the American people for
music which is OF the higher quality.
such for instance as the symphony
or orchestral concerts. Furthermore
there seems to be something about
the climate OF the United States, at
least in certain sections, which serves
50 greatly to refine and develop the
vocal organs as to make it possible
for those who possess this gift to
gain rank among the great singers
Of the world Curiously enough Maine.
represented by Nordica. Anna Louise
Gary. Emma Eames and others, fur
nished the world with. some of the
greatest OF operatic singers. Others
came from the West and Northwest
and one very great singer was a na-
tive of California Therefore the
United States is believed~to be await
ing only such financial encoura cement
as the munihcent bequest Of Mr.. JUL
lard will furnish in order to demon
strate a few years hence that we
excel as a music loving. music pro-
ducing nation. Mr.. Juilliard well
knew when he included this bequest
among the clauses in his will, that
nothing but a sufficient sum, one
yielding an adequate yearly income.
was needed in order to bring to the
highest development the musical pos
sibtlities of the United States. It
may be that his bequest will be dis
covered by the trustees to amount
10 as much as $4,000, 900. 1t was with
vthe utmost caution that those who
knew the terms OF the will stated
that this special bequest would
amount to not less than 500. 900, and
probably considerably more
A