A Bethesda couple is giving Strathmore Arts Center $1 million for its music and arts education program, the performing arts center announced Wednesday.

The gift from Jim and Carol Trawick is the largest Strathmore has received since its Music Center opened in February 2005, and the largest donation from private individuals ever.

“I hope it sends a message that the Music Center at Strathmore is alive, well and, after two years, thriving,” Strathmore president and CEO Eliot Pfanstiehl told The Examiner. “And it’s a big invitation to both public and private sectors to put their money where the children’s mouths are.”

The Trawick’s gift will benefit children in grades K-12, Pfanstiehl said.

dfowler@dcexaminer.com