KINHAVEN MUSIC SCHOOL RECEIVES SIGNIFICANT GIFT IN HONOR OF RENOWNED CELLIST STEPHEN KATES

Photo by Robert Preston, Stamford, CT

WESTON, VT. – Kinhaven Music School is very pleased to announce that Mrs. Mary Louise Kates, widow of renowned cellist and Kinhaven alumnus Stephen Kates, has given $150,000 to Kinhaven’s endowment in memory of her late husband. The gift will establish the Stephen Kates Endowed Scholarship in Cello to provide financial help to cello students at Kinhaven.

In granting Kinhaven the gift, Mrs. Kates said, “Stephen always had a special place in his heart for Kinhaven. It was a place where he was able to develop as a musician and enjoy his summers away from New York City. He always spoke of Kinhaven with great fondness and regaled me with many a story of his exploits both musical and youthful.”

Stephen Kates, one of the eminent cellists and teachers of his era, attended Kinhaven from 1955-1957. Later, as a student of Leonard Rose, he attended Juilliard, followed by studies with Gregor Piatigorsky in California. In 1966, he was Silver Medal Laureate at the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow. Stephen Kates performed as soloist, recitalist and chamber musician throughout the United States and Europe. He was a guest artist by the invitation of the White House under three Presidents: Johnson, Carter and Reagan. At the time of his death, he was also the Chairman of the String Department at the Peabody Conservatory of Music of Johns Hopkins University and President of the American Cello Congress.

“This remarkably generous gift represents a significant addition to our endowment, and is tangible proof of the enduring importance of Kinhaven to our alumni,” said James Wallick, President of Kinhaven’s Board of Trustees. Michael Bartos, also a Kinhaven Trustee, said, “when I attended Kinhaven in the 1950’s as a student with Stephen, we all knew he would develop into a very special musician. I am very pleased that this gift will enable future cello students to experience Kinhaven, which had such an important impact on Stephen during his formative years as a musician.”

According to Mrs. Kates, one of Stephen Kates’s final wishes was to help young students whose musical ambitions are greater than their financial constraints. Stephen always felt that "money should never be an issue where education, artistry and talent are involved," said Mrs. Kates.

Kinhaven Music School gratefully acknowledges Mrs. Kates for her extraordinary gift. While the gift will perpetuate the legacy of Stephen Kates, the growth of Kinhaven’s endowment represents a significant leap forward in building a stronger financial base on which Kinhaven and its community can rely in the years to come.