Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences Kicks off with $50 Million; $10 Million Inaugural Gift to the Seattle Symphony.

Entertainment Editors/Lifestyle Editors/Business Editors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 2004

Charles Simonyi, known by many as the "Architect of Microsoft Word," announced today the formation of a $50 million foundation, the Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences. Former local news anchor, Susan Hutchison, will serve as the Executive Director.

Simonyi's "inaugural" gift of $10 million was presented to the Seattle Symphony today in celebration of the 100th Anniversary and recognition of its past achievements and future potential under the artistic direction of conductor Gerard Schwarz.

"I am so pleased to be focusing my philanthropic activities under a foundation which is dedicated to excellence in the arts, sciences and education," said Simonyi at a news conference today in Seattle. "And our own Seattle Symphony couldn't be a more worthy recipient of the first gift."

Simonyi continued, "I also couldn't be more pleased to have Susan as my Executive Director. Our long-time friendship, her love for Seattle and her deep roots in this community combined with her intellect and understanding of the arts, sciences and education make her a perfect fit for this position."

Funded solely by Simonyi, the foundation plans to distribute about 10% (double the 5% required) of the principal each year over the next 10 years to worthy organizations that demonstrate excellence in the fields of arts, sciences, and education.

"In fact," said Simonyi, "other large gifts are being planned which we'll be announcing soon. Our hope is that funding of worthy organizations will improve access to excellence in our community and many others."

About the Gift to the Seattle Symphony

Simonyi's gift will total $10 million over the next five years. Five million dollars will go toward the Benaroya/Simonyi Challenge, allowing the symphony to raise matching funds for the symphony's endowment fund.

It also includes $2 million per year for the next two years to help sustain the plan for increasing wages of the Seattle Symphony musicians.

Finally, the grant includes $1 million for the "New Europe Festival." This festival will celebrate the importance of Central and Eastern European music, artists, composers and orchestras with concerts during the 2005-06 season featuring the work of such composers as Bartok, Dohnanyi and Kodaly.

About Charles Simonyi

Charles Simonyi was with the Microsoft Corporation from 1981, where he held titles of Director of Application Development, Chief Architect, and most recently, Distinguished Engineer. While at Microsoft, Simonyi led teams that developed Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and other best selling software applications.

In August 2002, Simonyi founded Intentional Software Corporation (ISC), a company working to improve software development productivity and quality by making the code look like the design. Simonyi worked at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) from 1972-1980 where he created the first WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) text editor called Bravo. Born in Budapest, Hungary, Simonyi earned his B.S. in engineering mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley, and a doctorate in computer science from Stanford University. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Pecs in Hungary, in 2001.

Simonyi has been a member of the National Academy of Engineering since 1997, elected for his contributions to "widely used productivity software." Simonyi has been also serving on the Board of Trustees of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton since 1998. He has endowed a chair for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University, a chair for Theoretical Physics at the Institute for Advanced Study, among many other educational and charitable contributions. Simonyi is an avid collector of modern art, enjoys classical music and is an experienced pilot.

About Susan Hutchison

Susan Hutchison is best known as a distinguished TV news anchor, serving the Puget Sound region for 22 years. During her career at KIRO-TV, she received numerous awards, including five Emmy's for producing, writing, and reporting news and documentaries. Along the way she interviewed Presidents Reagan and Carter, Billy Graham and First Lady Laura Bush.

An active participant in local causes, Susan dedicates her time and talent to many civic and charitable organizations, serving on the boards of Salvation Army, Children's Hospital, CRISTA/World Concern and Discovery Institute. She has been a spokesperson for Seattle Art Museum, American Leprosy Mission, Northwest Medical Teams, Job Corps, Pacific Northwest Ballet and March of Dimes. She has emceed dozens of charitable auctions and fundraising events for worthy causes throughout western Washington.