Dr. Andrew and Erna Viterbi. Photo by Bob Ross
SAN DIEGO–The Old Globe received a $5 million gift from Dr. Andrew Viterbi, which will create The Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Fund.
The fund, which supports the theatre’s artistic and arts engagement programs, will name the Globe’s artistic leadership position and confer on Barry Edelstein the honor of a new title: the Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director of The Old Globe. This visionary gift will help sustain the flagship San Diego institution during the next 10 years while also encouraging others to contribute to the Globe’s long-term stability. Dr. Viterbi has designed this gift to be an inspiration to other philanthropists to join him in his support of the theatre.
Erna and Andrew Viterbi have generously supported The Old Globe for more than two decades and in 2008 made a leadership gift of $2 million to permanently name the Viterbi Family Lobby of the in-the-round theatre. This spring, Dr. Andrew Viterbi created The Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Fund in memory of his beloved wife, who passed away in 2015 and was a longtime supporter of the arts. The Globe’s Board of Directors and staff are thrilled to be the recipients of this wonderful gift.
Erna Finci Viterbi, born in Sarajevo and raised in Italy and Switzerland, was fluent in four languages, took roles in many philanthropic endeavors, and loved her family and friends beyond measure. Erna and Andrew’s generous heart for humanity has benefited many causes—education at all levels, health and social services, and biomedical research—both nationally and internationally. The Globe family remembers Erna fondly and salutes Andrew for his continuing affection for the theatre.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity to memorialize my beloved wife Erna by supporting an institution she valued,” said Dr. Andrew Viterbi. “She particularly enjoyed theatre, as do I and my family, and I believe that the great work of The Old Globe deserves ongoing support, from us and from the wider community. I am pleased to attach her name to Barry Edelstein’s work and the work of this important San Diego institution.”
“The Viterbi family’s commitment to philanthropy is exemplary and inspiring, and we are most grateful,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “The Old Globe is proud to have been a beneficiary of their largesse for years, and we are thrilled to see our relationship with this remarkable family enter a new chapter with this extraordinary gift. My wife and I enjoyed a meaningful friendship with Erna, and we share her conviction that the arts are a necessary part of a fully lived life. That Dr. Viterbi has framed this contribution as a spur to motivate others to support the Globe is an inspired gesture that will help ensure the Globe’s high-quality work and stability for years to come.”
