Shared Joy

As children, Bill and Anita Cochran both experienced the joy of seeing live performances, from ballet to symphony to theatre. Growing up just outside Schenectady and New York City respectively, Bill and Anita enjoyed frequent access to artists and venues that shaped their memories and broadened their worlds.

Through a gift to Texas Performing Arts, one of the most important contributors to cultural life in Central Texas, the Cochrans are providing Austin-area schoolchildren access to similar entertainment experiences. The William & Anita Cochran Endowment for Performing Arts Access & Education is used to support daytime youth performances by nationally recognized artists, such as the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, for students from elementary through high school. The Cochrans’ endowment assists with fees for artists, transportation to bring students to the theatre, producing and distributing supplementary material to educators, and other outreach activities. In addition, their gift helps provide free or discounted tickets to TPA productions for children who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to attend a performance.

“Our gift is intended to open the door to another aspect of their cultural life,” says Bill. Anita adds, “It’s fascinating to watch how excited the kids get during the shows. For many of them, it may be their only opportunity to see something like this.”

Bill has a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Princeton University and Anita’s Ph.D. in astronomy is from UT Austin. Both are firmly focused on science in their professional lives — Bill as a research professor in UT’s Department of Astronomy and Anita as assistant director of the McDonald Observatory. The arts, however, continue to capture the Cochrans’ hearts and imaginations. They’re particularly fond of blues music, but as TPA members for 41 years, they also attend performances that expand their worlds and minds.

“When we go to shows that are outside our comfort range, we discover we like what we didn’t even know we liked,” Anita says.

You Can Fuel Creativity in Texas

Will you join the Cochrans in opening doors to extraordinary cultural experiences? Download our complimentary guide, “6 Effective Ways to Protect the Performing Arts,” to discover tax-savvy and income-generating ideas so you can match your philanthropic goals to your passion for the performing arts. For more information, contact the Gift and Estate Planning Team at 512-475-9632 or giftplan@austin.utexas.edu.