$2.5 Million Endowment For Music Scholarships

Awarded a $2.5 million grant by the Frank A. Fusco and Nelly Goletti Fusco Foundation Inc., Marist College received its largest endowment in school history. Marist held a ceremony on Nov. 1, 2019 dedicating the music wing of the Murray Student Center to Frank and Nelly Fusco.

The ceremony celebrated the life of Dutchess County residents Fusco and Goletti. The event also honored the foundation’s philanthropic efforts for the Marist community and beyond.

Goletti and Fusco encompassed a love for music. Goletti was a distinguished composer, pianist, and singer in Europe as well as the U.S. Goletti was considered a musical prodigy at age four and grew up in Algier, North Africa. She was enrolled in the Beaux Arts Conservatory as an honor student at five. By 13, Goletti was the youngest member of the French Society of Composers and had won over 14 first place prizes for her talents in Paris and Milan. Moving to the U.S. in 1951, Goletti continued her musical aspirations and later settled in Dutchess County during the 1960s with her husband, Frank Fusco.

Fusco’s philanthropic involvement at Marist began in 1995 when the campus theater in the Student Center was renovated. With Fusco’s grant, Marist renamed the theater to the Nelly Goletti Theater in memory of Fusco’s wife. In addition to the theater, the foundation also provided grants to support the Cannavino Library, Fusco Recital Hall, the Nelly Goletti Music Scholarship, and a steinway grand piano used in Marist recitals.

Music students also have the ability to receive a $2,500 renewable award each year, made possible by the Fusco Music scholarship. Students seeking this scholarship have to audition, maintain full-time enrollment and declare music as their minor field of study. Students also have to maintain a 2.85 cumulative gpa, and participate in ensembles prescribed by the Director of Bands or the Director of Choral Activities. For many students, like alumni Nick Bayer ‘16, who spoke at the Fusco Music Center Ceremony, the generosity of the foundation allowed him to succeed through music.

“Now we are all here today because of the immense generosity of the Frank A. Fusco and Nelly Goletti Fusco Foundation,” Bayer said. “So I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, for investing in me while I was here at Marist, but also for your continued support and continued belief in the music students here at Marist. Your support will allow more students just like me, to achieve excellence in music and bring sunshine to the lives of others. So I want to thank you for that.”

President Murray was clearly grateful for the Fusco Foundation as he recognized the significant contributions the foundation has done for the college. Murray spoke at the ceremony, emphasizing the huge potential of the music program with the help of the incredible endowment.

“The Fusco Foundation and its trustees have been long-time friends and benefactors to the college and their $2.5 million endowment gift is a culmination of many years of generous support for Marist, our students, and the music program,” Murray said.

The music program at Marist is continuing to grow and currently has about 400 students. Individuals can participate in several performing ensembles and take a variety of courses offered in music theory and music history. Students can also take courses ranging from applied voice and instrumental studies, to researching the lives and works of renowned composers.

“The rigor of this chorus reinforces the demand for excellence reflected in Nelly’s prolific works,” Sarah Williams said, the Director of Choral Activities. “With humble gratitude, we hope to provide a respectful tribute to Nelly Goletti’s musical craft as well as the Fusco Foundation’s commitment to advancing music at Marist College.”

In addition to concert tributes performed on-campus by the music program, the outstanding work of Nelly Goletti is preserved in the Nelly Goletti Theater. Encompassing over 300 musical compositions of Golletti’s work and materials, which interpret her career and achievements, the music program strives to uphold her musical excellence. As students and faculty continue to use her work, Golletti is remembered by the community as an outstanding musician.