A $1 million endowment gift from President Emeritus J. Fred Young and Phyllis Young will bring the North Carolina Symphony and other premier ensembles to Elon, beginning in the fall.
Earnings from the Fred and Phyllis Young Classical Music Program Endowment will support signature performances during the fall and spring semesters each year, enhancing the university’s existing lineup of premier music offerings.
The program’s inaugural performance will feature the North Carolina Symphony on September 30, 2026, in Alumni Gym. Details about this concert, including tickets, will be shared with the Elon community this summer.
“This gift is to express gratitude to the Elon community for 25 wonderful years together and to provide enhanced opportunities for all of us to experience great music at Elon,” said Fred Young, who served as the university’s seventh president from 1973-1998, leading historic growth and progress at the institution.
Elon President Connie Ledoux Book thanked the Youngs for their generosity and dedicated service to the university.
“Fred and Phyllis Young’s contributions to Elon University over many decades are vast and many—from doubling our enrollment and expanding our campus to enriching academic programs and supporting generations of students,” Book said. “Their dedication has helped shape the Elon we know today. With this remarkable gift, they now add the joy of classical music to that legacy, ensuring our community will experience exceptional performances for years to come.”
In addition to full orchestra concerts, it is envisioned that the Youngs’ endowment will fund other signature performances on campus, including seasonal concerts and a chamber music concert, as well as engagement opportunities with music students, including career development seminars and master classes. Performances by the Elon University Orchestra and Elon Wind Ensemble may also be included.
As the endowment grows, additional opportunities for students may include new music-themed Winter Term courses and global engagement experiences, as well as opera performances on campus.
The Fred and Phyllis Young Classical Music Program Endowment will complement performances by Elon’s current ensembles, including:
- Bands (The Fire of the Carolinas Marching Band & Phoenix Pep Band)
- Choral Activities & Voice (University Chorale, Camerata, élan & Opera Workshop.)
- Elon University Orchestra
- Elon University Wind Ensemble & Elon Concert Band
- Elon Jazz Ensemble & Jazz Combos
- Elon Contemporary Chamber Ensemble
- Commercial and Pop Music (Elon Electric Ensemble, Techtronica)
About President Emeritus James Fred Young
J. Fred Young was one of the longest-serving presidents in Elon history whose vision and leadership laid the foundation for Elon’s remarkable rise to national distinction. Young led an era of historic growth and transformation as Elon became one of the premier undergraduate institutions on the Eastern seaboard.
During Young’s 25-year tenure, Elon’s enrollment more than doubled to 3,685 students and the campus grew from about 145 acres to more than 500 acres. New academic offerings were added, including master’s programs in business administration, education and physical therapy; a new general studies program (now Elon Core Curriculum); and new majors, including communications, computer systems, sports medicine and leisure/sport management. The Elon Experiences engaged learning programs also grew under Young’s leadership.
Facilities construction and renovation included additions to the Center for the Arts, Koury Center for athletics, Moseley Center for campus activities and the Dalton L. McMichael Sr. Science Center. In addition, construction began on the Carol Grotnes Belk Library, while Young also began planning and fundraising for Rhodes Stadium. Young was named President Emeritus by the Elon Board of Trustees.
Fred and Phyllis Young are among Elon’s most dedicated donors, making gifts to Elon’s Greatest Needs, including scholarships, and the Phoenix Club. Young Commons, the expansive lawn in front of Moseley Center, was dedicated on October 10, 2000, in honor of the Youngs and their decades of leadership and service to the university. Fred and Phyllis are the grandparents of Elon sophomore Myla Young ’28.