Sustaining Excellence: A Conversation with Board Co-Chair Jeff MacKie-Mason and Janet Netz

“We want our children and grandchildren, and theirs, to continue to have the opportunity to hear world-class and exciting performances close to home.”

By Cal Performances Development staff

As Cal Performances looks to the future, leadership from within its own community is setting a visionary example. Board Co-Chair Jeff MacKie-Mason (former University Librarian, University of California, Berkeley, and a professor in the UC Berkeley School of Information and the Department of Economics) and longtime supporter Janet Netz (bachelor’s degree cum laude in economics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1986) recently committed a transformative $1 million gift to establish sustained excellence in classical music via a newly established endowment.

Both have deep roots at UC Berkeley, and we sat down with them to discuss the vital role of philanthropy, their personal connection to the arts, and why investing in the future of classical music at a public university matters now more than ever.

Jeff, in your role as Co-Chair of the Cal Performances Board, and Janet, as an alumna, longtime major donor, and champion of our mission, you have unique insights into not only the performing arts, but Cal Performances presentations specifically. From your perspective, why is an endowment the right way to ensure the enduring excellence of our classical programming? And why now?

Jeff & Janet: Classical music has been an important part of our lives for many years, and Cal Performances makes extraordinary artists and performances available to students, faculty, and the broader public. Some of our most memorable experiences have happened in Zellerbach Hall or Hertz Hall—moments of beauty, surprise, and awe that stayed with us long after the performance ended.

We believe an endowment is the right vehicle because it provides long-term stability. It helps ensure that Cal Performances can continue presenting ambitious classical programming not just today, but decades from now—even through economic uncertainty or changing cultural priorities. We want our children and grandchildren, and theirs, to continue to have the opportunity to hear world-class and exciting performances close to home.

We also believe this is an important moment to invest in the arts. Organizations everywhere are facing rising costs and increased competition for philanthropic support. Endowment funding allows institutions to plan boldly and sustain excellence over time.

And what does it mean to lead by example in this way?

Jeff & Janet: UC Berkeley has been enormously important in both of our lives, and Cal Performances contributes so much to the cultural life of the Bay Area. We are fortunate to be able to help this continue, and hope that we might inspire others to give generously as well.

When you think about the future of classical music, what is the impact you hope this gift has on the next generation of students and concert-goers?

Jeff & Janet: We hope this gift helps ensure that future students and audiences continue to have access to truly world-class classical music in Berkeley. One of the remarkable things about Cal Performances is that students can encounter extraordinary artists and performances as part of everyday university life.

As a Berkeley student in the 1980s, Janet was able to attend performances through student rush tickets that made concerts affordable on a student budget. Those opportunities created exposure to artists and performances she would not have otherwise had. Great performances challenge audiences, introduce them to new ideas and interpretations, and create shared experiences that bring people together across generations and backgrounds.

Was there a specific moment or performance that made you realize this was the legacy you wanted to leave?

Jeff & Janet: There was not one single concert or moment that led us to make this gift. Rather, it came from many years of attending performances and seeing firsthand the important role Cal Performances plays in the intellectual and cultural life of both the university and the broader Bay Area community.

Over time, we realized we wanted to help ensure that future generations would continue to have those same opportunities—to discover artists they might never otherwise encounter, to experience the excitement of live performance, and to have access to a vibrant classical music program close to home.

Why did you choose to earmark this $1 million gift specifically for a classical music endowment?

Jeff & Janet: We enjoy many different kinds of performances at Cal Performances—dance, theater, jazz, folk, and world music among them—but classical music has always held a special place for us. That is especially true for Jeff, who has studied classical piano since childhood and now, in retirement, has more time to devote to that lifelong passion.

We chose to direct this gift toward a classical music endowment because sustaining great classical programming requires long-term investment. World-class artists, ambitious programming, and opportunities for audiences and students to experience exceptional live performance do not happen automatically. We wanted to help ensure that Cal Performances can continue presenting classical music at the highest level for generations to come.

How do you see the presence of world-class piano performances and classical music as vital to the cultural fabric of a public university like Berkeley?

Jeff & Janet: We’ve both been university professors, and we share the belief that higher education should do more than prepare students for careers. Universities should help students build meaningful, intellectually rich lives by exposing them to new ideas, different forms of expression, and experiences that inspire curiosity and reflection.

The performing arts—and classical music in particular—play an important role in that mission. Experiencing great music, whether as a listener or performer, develops attention, discipline, emotional understanding, and a deeper appreciation for human creativity. Having access to world-class performances on a public university campus like Berkeley enriches not only students, but the broader community as well.

One of the extraordinary things about Cal Performances is that it makes those experiences part of the everyday cultural life of Berkeley and the East Bay. We hope this gift helps ensure that continues far into the future.

Cal Performances offers its sincerest appreciation to Jeff MacKie-Mason and Janet Netz for their endowment gift, as well as for a long history of guidance and financial support. For more information about how you can join our passionate community of donors, visit calperformances.org/support.