We are thrilled to announce that the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Clarinet chair has been endowed and named with a generous gift from Barbara and Norman Berven. The Barbara and Norman Berven Chair is currently held by JJ Koh, who joined the orchestra as Principal Clarinet in 2016.
Barbara and Norman decided to endow this chair as a joint 10th anniversary gift to each other. Barbara has fond memories of playing the clarinet as a youth, thus their decision to select this chair from among several available naming opportunities. “We feel incredibly fortunate to have such a wonderful symphony orchestra, organ and concert hall here in Madison, and we definitely feel that the Symphony deserves our support,” says Norman. “We want to do our part to help ensure that the Madison Symphony Orchestra remains a vibrant part of Madison’s cultural arts offerings for generations to come.”
Barbara is president-elect of the Madison Symphony Orchestra League (MSOL) and co-chair of the 2021 Symphony Gala which takes place next month. The Bervens subscribe to the Symphony and Overture Concert Organ series and regularly participate in MSOL events. Aside from their Symphony involvement, Norman and Barbara are both Attic Angel volunteers, they audit a class every semester at UW-Madison, and they have season tickets for Badger football, basketball, hockey and voleyball.
Please join us in thanking the Bervens for their generous gift! To learn about endowment naming opportunities, please visit madisonsymphony.org/endowchair or call Casey Oelkers, Director of Development, at (608) 260-8680 x228.