Gift Endows Music Chair at Chapman : Donation: Richard and Hyla Bertea give the university $1 million.

A Corona del Mar couple has given Chapman University a $1-million gift to endow a chair in music, university officials announced Tuesday.

Richard Bertea, president of Newport Beach’s OrionAir and a Chapman trustee since 1968, donated the gift with his wife, Hyla. The chair will be named after the Bertea family, whose name already identifies the hall that houses the School of Music. The building was named Bertea Hall in 1980 to honor past donations, said Chapman President James Doti.

“This will allow us to continue attracting the best and brightest faculty, which can make or break an educational institution,” Doti said of the gift.

The first beneficiary of the endowment will be chair holder William Hall, dean of the music school. Hall has been a professor at the school for 32 years, in addition to conducting the Orange County Master Chorale.

“It’s very exciting and I am deeply honored,” Hall said. “It’s difficult to talk about it because I’m so overwhelmed.”

The endowment should generate a minimum of $50,000 per year for the music school, which has a budget of about $1.6 million, Hall said.

The 130 Chapman students who major in music can participate in the Chapman Symphony Orchestra, the Chapman Chamber Orchestra, the Chapman University Choir and the University singers, Doti said, adding that the groups have performed around the world and even played for the Pope.

“It’s gratifying to honor Bill for all he’s done and it’s important affirmation of Chapman as a prominent international university,” Doti said.

Hall said the extra funds will be used to give stability to the programs the school currently runs and to possibly establish a graduate school that will offer a masters degree in the field.

Chapman was established in 1861 and currently has 3,200 students.