The Bowdoin International Music Festival has received a $3.7 million donation, the largest of its 60-year history, in a bequest from a former trustee, Patricia Crawford Brown.
The gift will establish a fund to support student scholarships at the festival, an annual summer program in Brunswick.
Brown, who died May 1 at age 90, spent her career in publishing, and was a founding editor of Bon Appetit magazine and editor-in-chief of another prestigious food publication, Cuisine.
She and her husband retired in 2001 to Brunswick. There she served as a volunteer with the festival, and was honored in 2023 for her work raising scholarship funds for young musicians.
The Bowdoin International Music Festival began in 1964 as a program of the music department at Bowdoin College. In 1997, the festival became an independent nonprofit organization.
After a competitive admission process, the festival draws over 270 students from around the world each summer to study and perform with faculty members and guest artists. Members of the public are invited to attend nearly 200 free events such as student performances, lectures, classes and community concerts.
Daniel Nitsch, executive director of the festival, said in a news release, “Pat chose to make arts education her legacy, building opportunities for future generations of young musicians. Her steadfast belief that everyone deserves a quality education, regardless of finances, inspires us all.”
