Giving the gift of music

Newport Coast residents John and Sandra Daniels have endowed a music

program at the Orange County High School of the Arts named in honor

of world-renowned conductor Frederick Fennell, a world-renowned

conductor. The donation from the Daniels’ family will support the

wind ensemble program at the local private high school.

Fennell is regarded as one of the preeminent figures of the wind

ensemble movement in America. Appropriately, the musical endowment

will be named the Frederick Fennell Winds Studies Program in

Residence at the Orange County High School of the Arts.

A reception was held to commemorate the Daniels’ donation and the

establishment of the program. A diverse contingent of community

support joined forces with the Daniels, including Newport’s Donna

Phelps, Pat Callahan, Nancy Wilson and Mary Lam and Linda Isle’s Jack

Lindquist, Janice Smith and Craig Furniss. Also at the reception and

luncheon were Barbara Powers, John Rau, Russell Stern, Kory Swanson

and Ralph Opacic, president of the Orange County High School of the

Arts.

Now in its 17th year, the arts high school has an enrollment of

1,200 students. The small conservatory departments, including the

newly endowed Wind Studies Program, are essential to the specialized

arts instruction, which is intrinsic to the overall educational

effort. Guests at the luncheon ceremony at the Green Parrot Cafe

after the formal announcement of the Daniels’ gift shared their

appreciation of the importance of arts education in Orange County.

The Fennell program will allow students to participate in masters

classes led by accomplished guest artists. In addition, the program

will offer college scholarships to students wishing to continue their

music studies at universities.

“Sandy and I are pleased to support this program,” John Daniels

said. “Dr. Fennell is one of the world’s most innovative maestros,

and his presence here at the Orange County High School of the Arts

will be of immeasurable benefit to the local students.”

John Daniels serves as chairman of the board for the school. He

and Sandra Daniels have become major advocates of arts education in

Orange County.

The school is ranked as the fifth highest of all high schools,

public and private, in Orange County.

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