A Piano Scholar Leaves a Musical Legacy

Northwestern University Professor Emeritus Laurence Davis, a professional solo and collaborative pianist, longtime Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music educator, and former associate conductor/principal accompanist for Lyric Opera of Chicago, left a lasting legacy at Northwestern when he passed away in April 2015.

A native Australian, Davis joined the Bienen School faculty in 1965, where he taught classes in accompanying and vocal repertoire to graduate and undergraduate students. Davis was fluent in English, Spanish, German, French, and Italian, which proved invaluable in his work as a vocal opera coach.

Davis’s influence extends beyond his lifetime through the numerous planned gifts he established, including a charitable bequest, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable gift annuities, which he generously designated for the Music Library and the Bienen School. These vehicles provided a way for Davis to support Northwestern while generating tax deductions and lifetime income.

“During his 34 years on the piano faculty, Professor Emeritus Laurence Davis influenced the lives of countless music students and contributed significantly to the reputation of the Bienen School of Music,” said Dean Toni-Marie Montgomery. “Future generations of students will benefit from Laurence’s investments in the piano program and the Music Library. His commitment to the success of aspiring musicians remained evident throughout his life, and it is my hope that Professor Emeritus Davis’s generosity and dedication to Northwestern will inspire others to consider similar giving arrangements.”

At Davis’s request, a portion of the proceeds from his planned gifts have been used to create the Laurence Davis Scholarship Fund, an endowment that will exist in perpetuity. Inaugural recipient Dong-Wan Ha is an exceptional doctoral piano student of Alan Chow, associate professor of piano. Ha, who began his piano studies at age 7 in Seoul, South Korea, has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and earned the top prize at a number of national and international competitions.

“I am very grateful that Professor Davis made this generous gift to the music school,” explained Ha. “Attending the Bienen School and studying with Professor Chow has been a privilege, and it’s because of scholarship support like this that I can focus entirely on my piano studies and not worry about how to pay for my education.”

Please contact Northwestern Gift Planning at 800-826-6709 or giftplanning@northwestern.edu to learn how you can support Northwestern with a planned gift, just as Professor Davis did.