The Nova Scotia Talent Trust announced a legacy bequest to the organization of 2.8 million dollars from the late Judith Grant, the largest donation ever received by the Trust in its almost 80-year history.
At the October 17 announcement, board chair Victoria Hines noted that the money was earmarked for Nova Scotians studying music within Atlantic Canada and will provide income in perpetuity for music scholarships.
“Although Judith’s transformational gift is meant for emerging musicians, going forward, we’ll also be able to help other artistic disciplines to a greater degree since now we can increase scholarships overall,” she says.
A patron of the arts, Grant was born in 1926 and grew up in Bedford. She studied the cello at the Maritimes Conservatory and in Toronto. She was a concertgoer and donor to many organizations, including the Scotia Festival of Music, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra and the Maritime Conservatory. Grant died in 2022 in Halifax.
Formed in 1944, the Nova Scotia Talent Trust was initially created to support soprano Portia White in her musical studies. Since then, the Trust has awarded over 2.5 million dollars to more than 1,000 Nova Scotians studying dance, music, theatre, literary, visual, media and circus arts. Some notable past recipients include organist John Grew, photographer Sherman Hines, cellist Denise Djokic, soprano/conductor Barbara Hannigan and dancer Sara Coffin.
Visit nstalenttrust.ns.ca for more information.