FAU Announces Bob Lappin & Palm Beach Pops Legacy to Support Music Education

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Dec. 11, 2023 - PRLog -- BOCA RATON, Fla. (December 4, 2023) Florida Atlantic University has received a gift worth more than $5 million – including assets and an extensive music library – to enhance its music programs and establish a legacy for the Palm Beach Pops and its founder and music director, Bob Lappin. The gift was donated by the Legacy Foundation of Palm Beach County, an extension of the Palm Beach Pops. The extensive music library is comprised of more than 1,600 titles and scores – a significant amount of which were arranged by the industry's most prestigious arrangers and from some of the Great American Songbook's greatest composers.

"For the past three decades, the Palm Beach Pops was an integral part of the performing cultural arts and music education in South Florida," said Jon Lappin, president and executive director of the Legacy Foundation of Palm Beach County/Palm Beach Pops. "This music must be heard and taught, not only because of its rich American roots, but also because it is the result of the massive collaboration of so many musicians, supporters, county institutions, students, and, of course, the unyielding pursuit of artistic excellence for more than 30 years. This donation preserves the legacy and extraordinary accomplishments of the maestro – my father, the late Bob Lappin – and the Palm Beach Pops."

FAU's Department of Music within the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters will establish the Bob Lappin and the Palm Beach Pops Music Legacy Endowment to fund scholarships, graduate fellowships and other student financial aid to recruit and retain top music students. It also provides financial support for students to purchase higher quality instruments, as well as specialized instruments and pianos within the music department. This support will bolster the Department of Music's successful degree programs in commercial music, music education, music performance, and conducting, which have produced Grammy-winning artists and producers, industry-leading music executives, world-class music educators, and top-tier scholars.

"We are extremely grateful to the Legacy Foundation of Palm Beach County and Palm Beach Pops for this important gift to our Department of Music," said FAU President Stacy Volnick. "The Palm Beach Pops brought entertainment and joy to listeners of all ages, and we're proud to recognize its legacy and carry forward its mission of music education. This gift benefits not only our students but the larger community."

Attached Images:

(Photo Credit: The Palm Beach Pops)

1. Maestro Bob Lappin

2. Maestro Lappin conducting the Palm Beach Pops

Media Contacts:

Kristine M. Gobbo

FAU

561.297.0924

kgobbo@fau.edu

Jon Lappin

Legacy Foundation of Palm Beach County

561.832.7677

front@palmbeachpops.org (mailto:front@palmbeachpops.og)