No Matter How Old You Are or Where You Live—The Minnesota Orchestra Can Be Part of Your Legacy

As a young violinist, Minnesota Orchestra Laureate Society member Kristina Morden met Itzhak Perlman in the Greenroom at her first Minnesota Orchestra concert.

"During his performance, he ripped four loose bow hairs from his bow and threw them on stage. Afterward, my friends and I retrieved them—I still have mine!" Kristina recalls fondly.

From this experience grew a special connection to the Orchestra which led Kristina to make it a beneficiary on a life insurance policy when she was only in her 20s. As Kristina explains, "It was the first time I had thought about where I wanted my money to go when I died, and I decided it was important that it be spent after my life in the same way it was during my life."

Now in her 40s and living in Washington, D.C., Kristina still maintains the Minnesota Orchestra in her estate. "Having kept in touch with other patrons and receiving updates from Orchestra staff over the years reinforces for me the awareness that I made a good decision. Even in challenging economic times, the Orchestra continues to do amazing things—a sign of a well-run organization."

Although Kristina knew at a young age that an estate gift for the Orchestra fulfilled her philanthropic goals, she wants people to know that it's never too late to provide an estate gift. Her feelings are clear and strong: "There are several times in life when an estate needs to be reevaluated, and each is an opportunity to benefit this great Orchestra."