Couple leaves $6 million to York music organizations
Music had always been a part of the Mohatt family’s lives.
Jim Mohatt worked as a music professor at York College for years. He played trombone in the York Symphony Orchestra and Spring Garden Band, and he served as a member of the Youth Symphony Orchestras’ board.
His wife, Beverly, was a string instructor at schools in and around York County, a member of the Colonial String Quartet, principal second violin in the York Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony’s music librarian for years.
Beverly passed away in 1996 and her husband in February 2014.
But now, thanks to their $6 million gift to support York area music organizations, the Mohatts can continue to impact future generations of musicians.
Upon Jim’s death, the Mohatts left donations to the James L. Mohatt Excellence in Music Education Scholarship, an endowed scholarship fund at York College, the York Symphony Orchestra, York Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Spring Garden Band, according to a news release.
Three new endowed funds were created at York County Community Foundation: The Dr. James L. Mohatt Fund for York Symphony, the Beverly J. Mohatt Fund of the York Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Dr. James L. Mohatt Fund for the Spring Garden Band.
The Mohatt’s gift to the York Symphony comes at an opportune time, according to YSO development director Dick Brown.
“Running a symphony takes significant community support, so to quintuple our endowment fund is really a wonderful, wonderful thing,” Brown said in the news release. “It will allow us to transition the Symphony with professional management, continue to raise the musical quality of the Symphony, enhance the performances, and further expand our music educational outreach programs to children and youth throughout York County and City.”
York Youth Symphony Orchestra president Cal Weary agreed.
“The YYSO will forever be grateful for this endowment not only for what it gives us in longevity, but also because it helps us to remember them forevermore,” he said in the release.