Beethoven's birthday came early this year, as the Eccles Foundation gave $1 million to the financially beleaguered Utah Symphony | Utah Opera to help sustain the viability of the state's largest performing arts organization.

This morning, as classical music fans celebrate the 239-year anniversary of Beethoven's birth, Spencer F. Eccles, chairman and CEO of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, will present the grant to symphony musicians at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City.

It was the musicians' generosity that inspired the gift, said Lisa Eccles, foundation president. "We were really heartened that musicians had stepped forward in an unprecedented way," she said.

In October, musicians agreed to donate $1.3 million in salary and benefits for the 2009-2010 season. The unusual move came after musicians had already accepted a cut in salaries and benefits during the previous season that amounted to $445,000, as the arts group trimmed its annual budget by $2 million.

The Eccles grant came as "a surprise," said Melia Tourangeau, USUO president and CEO. She said she had heard that Spencer Eccles had been "blown away" by the musicians' sacrifice.

While the foundation likes to donate to humanitarian efforts during the holidays, officials believe they are feeding the community's soul by supporting the performing arts with this additional gift this year, Lisa Eccles said.

Supporting the symphony has been a family tradition for more than 50 years. "This was one of the loves of our family," she said.

While the gift will strengthen the organization, challenging times aren't over due of the depth of the economic downturn, Tourangeau and Lisa Eccles cautioned. But they both expressed hope that the conducting debut next month of the symphony's new music director Thierry Fischer will bring a surge of excitement and generosity from the community.

"The excitement is palpable," Lisa Eccles said.