The University of Oregon has announced a $5 million gift from alumni Phyllis and Andrew Berwick to endow a deanship in its School of Music and Dance.

The gift will give the dean flexible resources to pursue the school's academic goals and support activities associated with the Oregon Bach Festival. Sabina Madison-Cannon, who has led the school and the festival since last July, will serve as the first Phyllis and Andrew Berwick Dean of the School of Music and Dance.

The couple, known as Phyzz and Andy, met while studying at the university. Phyzz earned a degree in early childhood education in 1956, while Andy graduated with a business degree the year before and went on to found the Berwick-Pacific Corporation in San Mateo, California.

Longtime supporters of the university, the Berwicks have previously given $6.5 million for the construction of Berwick Hall, $7 million in support of the Bach Festival, and $1.7 million to endow the festival's professional chorus, as well as other gifts. The couple also established an endowed student leadership fund that supports activities, scholarships, and programming at the school.

"Andy and Phyzz are two of our most loyal Ducks," said UO president Michael H. Schill. "Their passion for music and the arts has enriched the campus experience for countless students, our entire community, and music lovers from around the globe. This latest gift is yet another reminder of their incomparable legacy as tireless champions of the arts."