A new endowment in honor of University President Richard Levin and DUS of Directed Studies Jane Levin will fund visiting artists looking to teach or support programs at the School of Music.

In an effort to recognize the Levins’ dedication to the arts, the School of Music Board of Visitors has established an endowment supporting the “Jane and Richard Levin Music Fellow,” School of Music Dean Robert Blocker announced at a tribute concert to the Levins on Feb. 14.

The Levin Fellow will be “a person of distinction,” such as a visiting conductor, Blocker said, citing visiting artists such as Speranza Scappucci, who conducted Yale Opera’s production of Vincenzo Bellini’s “I Capuleti e i Montecchi” at the Shubert Theater on Feb. 15, as an example.

“The arts are a unique strength of Yale — as people who have been here for 43 years, [the arts are] something we’ve valued for our entire time here,” Richard Levin said. “I’ve always enjoyed the musical offerings in this community that Yale School of Music and undergraduates provide and the great work at the art gallery. It’s really nice that the art gallery and Music School have shown their appreciation; we’re very honored by this.”

The endowment to fund visiting artists and scholars is not new to Yale: The School of Art funds a visiting artist program and the School of Architecture has several endowments to bring professional architects to teach Yalies, according to Levin.