Kennett Square, PA (August 2, 2024): The Kennett Symphony of Chester County is pleased to announce that Dr. Timothy Vance Blair, court-appointed administrator of the J.M. Blair Family Trust, has established a generous annuity to benefit the Symphony in perpetuity. This gift fulfills Dr. Blair’s wish to provide lasting support for the Symphony’s work. Dr. Blair has been a champion of Chester County charities for decades, including the Kennett Symphony, where he serves as Board President. Dr. Blair states that he has made this gift “to culturally benefit in perpetuity the greater Kennett community and to encourage others to do the same.”
Katherine Ball-Weir, Development Chair of the Kennett Symphony Board remarked “We are deeply grateful for this perpetual gift, which will ensure the continued growth and excellence of the Symphony. This lasting contribution supports our mission to bring exceptional music and cultural experiences to our community, and will resonate through every note we play for generations to come. The Symphony is honored Dr. Blair chose it to be a beneficiary of his family’s Trust.”
Founded in 1940, the Kennett Symphony of Chester County (KSCC) is Chester County’s only fully professional symphony orchestra, serving over 5000 people throughout the Brandywine Valley during the concert season. For 84 years the Symphony has enriched and inspired the community in which we live. Please consider attending a Symphony concert in the near future.
Dr. Blair, Dean and Professor Emeritus, served for 30 years in higher education, 27 years at West Chester University. While there, he served as dean of the School of Music, then as founding dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and finally, as founding dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. A Steinway Artist, Dr. Blair is Board President of the Kennett Symphony and serves on the Board of Philadelphia’s Grammy -award-winning Crossing Choir, chosen by Musical America as the 2023 ensemble of the year. He is also an educational partner and professor for Steinway Asia Pacific, headquartered in Shanghai, and recently served as the American judge for Steinway Asia Pacific’s Southeast Asia International Youth Piano Competition. He was inducted into the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame by Steinway/New York. In addition, he serves as Board President of the Alexander & Buono Foundation of New York. Dr. Blair is married to Sally Marie Coveleskie, former music industry executive and children’s author.
The J.M. Blair Trust was founded by John McConnell Blair of Blairs Mills, PA, a successful 19th century entrepreneur who engaged in numerous enterprises in his hometown in the Tuscarora Valley. A storekeeper, surveyor, postmaster, developer, railway president and banker, he established the Trust from Tuscarora Bank stock. Dr. Blair, J.M. Blair’s closest living descendent, brought the Trust to the Chester County Community Foundation in 2019 to celebrate its 100-year anniversary.