Rozsa gift marks 10th anniversary

By Sally Collins

Ten years after their original $3-million donation, the Rozsa family has made another gift to support the Rozsa Centre at the University of Calgary. Their donation of $500,000 will be used to create an endowment fund to support the care and upkeep of the furnishings of the centre—primarily the recording studio—which has become a tremendous addition to the U of C.

“We want the centre to be maintained as Ted and I first envisioned it—a place to showcase arts, music and performance in our community,” says Lola Rozsa.

The centre opened on Nov. 2, 1997 with the support of a lead gift from Rozsa and her husband, Ted, who passed away in 2006. The couple decided to support the establishment of the centre after touring the U of C.

Funded entirely by donors, the Rozsa Centre houses superior acoustic space and professional recording equipment, as well as meeting space and performance facilities.

“Students are able to build on the firm foundation of educational opportunities from those who, like the Rozsas, understand how the arts change lives,” says Ann Calvert, fine arts dean.

In the 2007/08 academic year, the Rozsa Centre hosted more than 500 performances, events and meetings for various groups across campus and around the community.