DENTON (UNT), Texas -- University of North Texas alumnus Fouad Fakhouri has been honored with a $1.1 million endowment by the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. The Fouad K. Fakhouri Endowment for Artistic Excellence will be used to help support activities of the orchestra including its seasonal concerts.
"My experience with the FSO has been exceptionally rewarding and fulfilling," Fakhouri said. "I have been able to achieve the artistic goals that I set when I first took over as music director and feel really positive and very proud of the organization I leave behind."
Fakhouri, a 2006 UNT music graduate with a doctorate in composition, led the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra for 11 years, with his last performance taking place April 16. The Cumberland Community Foundation announced the endowment April 9 at a garden party hosted by a former orchestra board chairman.
"It is always wonderful to be honored by the community," Fakhouri said. "Whether receiving an honorary doctorate from Methodist University in Fayetteville, being inducted into the Fayetteville Music Hall of Fame or being honored with the creation of this $1.1 million fund in my name, I have been very fortunate to have been afforded wonderful working conditions and opportunities to make a strong, positive impact on the cultural life of the city and its citizens."
The endowment, which was funded by anonymous donors, will pay out between 4 and 5 percent annually – in the case of the Fakhouri fund, that could be as much as $50,000 per year.
About the UNT College of Music
The College of Music is one of the largest and most respected comprehensive music schools in the world. Approximately 1,500 music students attend the college each year, participating in nearly 70 widely varied ensembles while engaged in specialized studies in performance, composition, conducting, jazz studies, music education, music history, music theory or ethnomusicology. Music students, alumni and faculty have made appearances on the world's finest stages, have produced numerous recordings with many receiving Grammy awards and nominations, and have written influential texts in a variety of areas in music scholarship. Distinguished University alumni can be found around the globe in top music ensembles, opera companies, universities, and schools.