Almost 200 years old, the Handel and Haydn Society has received a pair of unprecedented gifts that will strengthen the company’s chorus and educational programs for the future. The two $1 million contributions come from longtime supporters and will pave the way for a larger fund-raising campaign.

Gifts of this level, while uncommon, tend to occur at larger local arts organizations like the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and Museum of Fine Arts. But they are among the biggest for a local music organization with an annual budget of less than $4 million, according to a survey of groups such as Emmanuel Music, the Longwood Symphony, and the Boston Early Music Festival. The Handel and Haydn Society has a $3.6 million annual budget.