Both donors were Fort Wayne locals. Wilda Marcus was a pianist whose son is a cellist in the Fort Wayne Philharmonic; she bequeathed $1.5 million. Amy Morrill was a classical music lover and former member of the orchestra's board of directors; she left $800,000.
Marcus's donation, which will be paid over the next two decades, will allow the orchestra to include a piano in its concerts at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. Recent concerts have not featured any piano repertoire, due to the cost of transporting the instrument to the venue.
Morril's donation, meanwhile, has allowed the orchestra to pay off a large chunk of its debt. The gifts will increase the orchestra's endowment to about $10 million, according to the AP.