ALUMNA ELIZABETH ZWERENZ BELL GIVES LARGE GIFT TO PYP IN HER ESTATE

Posted on November 21, 2019

Elizabeth Zwerenz (pictured on the right) and Phyllis Falkoff, who together played JS Bach’s Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins on April 6, 1940.

Alumna Elizabeth Zwerenz (December 12, 1920 - March 12, 2019) has left approximately $300,000 to Portland Youth Philharmonic to benefit young musicians for generations to come.

Elizabeth was part of the Portland Junior Symphony for seven years. She began on viola, playing from 1935 to 1939, and was principal viola for two seasons when Robert Mann was concertmaster. She switched to violin in 1939 and soon became concertmaster for two seasons, 1940-42.

During the Second World War, she and many other women found paying positions in orchestras. This was a significant moment not just for Elizabeth, but for the orchestra field, as women were rarely awarded seats in professional orchestras prior to that time.

Elizabeth married a pianist, William Edward Bell, and dedicated herself to playing in chamber music groups including the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. She played professionally her whole life while also becoming a respected community leader, remaining active into her 90s.

Elizabeth never forgot her training in PJS, and so she decided to leave her half of the estate she shared with her husband who predeceased her, to the institution that had given her a start in music, Portland Youth Philharmonic.

PYP is deeply grateful to all alumni who have chosen to provide bequests or other planned gifts to PYP. If you have made provisions for PYP in your estate plan, please let us know so that we may thank you and honor you as a member of our Encore Circle. There is no need to inform us the amount of your bequest, however, named funds require a minimum donation of $25,000. Please contact Kristan Knapp at kristan@portlandyouthphil.org or 503-223-5939 for more information.