The Margaret & Roger Berlin Fund for Emerging Instrumentalists

Meg and Roger, grateful for the many opportunities that their parents made available to each of them, were inspired to pay forward their enthusiasm and devotion to education, shared cultural experiences, and artistic beauty for the benefit of future artists and audiences. 

After her parents passed away, Meg was motivated to contribute to PCMS to honor their devotion to chamber music, which was an important and meaningful part of their lives. Meg’s mother was an accomplished pianist. She devoted herself to motherhood after Meg and her older siblings were born, but the piano remained an important part of the household. Today the 100-year-old Steinway grand is proudly displayed in the Berlins’ home. Meg was treated to concerts, recordings, and discussions about the artists and recordings of the day while living in her childhood home with her parents who passed on their love of chamber music to her. Meg’s father, though not a trained musician, was an avid and knowledgeable fan and often was consulted by critics after concerts for his insights. He was fond of saying that each time he heard a chamber music piece played, he heard something new.  

Roger’s parents enjoyed listening to music, and Roger and Meg attended chamber music concerts while Roger was in medical school in New York City. Roger joined the PCMS board of directors in 2016, has introduced PCMS to friends and colleagues, and been an active member of the PCMS Education Committee. He and Meg continue to attend concerts, support young instrumental artists early in their careers through their endowed fund, and enjoy attending the master classes, pre-concert conversations, and other community events that introduce world-class artists to diverse Philadelphia audiences each year.