The Butler School of Music in the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin has appointed Bion Tsang, an associate professor of cello, as the initial Fellow to the Long Chair in Cello.
Austin-based arts and culture philanthropists Joe and Terry Long created the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Chair in Cello in the Butler School of Music with a $1 million gift to support excellence in the cello faculty. Additionally, another Austin-based philanthropic couple, Andrew and Mary Ann Heller, led the campaign to create the Friends of Cello Scholarship that will be used in conjunction with the Long Chair for the enrichment of the school’s cello studio instruction.
“These endowments will serve to strengthen the Butler School of Music’s String program and Professor Tsang’s studio by supporting his teaching and the superb students he’s attracting from all over the world which will in turn enrich the cultural life of Austin and Texas,” said Douglas Dempster, dean of the College of Fine Arts.
“The extraordinary gift of the Long Chair in Cello, as well as the Friends of Cello Scholarship, are a reflection on Bion Tsang’s popularity and enthusiastic support in Austin,” said Dempster. “Anyone who has heard his exquisite performances understands why he is a favorite of Austin audiences and audiences across the U.S.”
Tsang received his B.A. from Harvard University and his M.M.A. from Yale University, where he studied with Aldo Parisot. Among his many honors are an Avery Fisher Career Grant, the bronze medal in the IX International Tchaikovsky Competition and a Grammy nomination for his collaboration with Conspirare, an Austin choral ensemble. He has performed as soloist with such orchestras as the New York, Moscow and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestras, the Saint Paul and Stuttgart Chamber Orchestras and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
