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PHILADELPHIA (PRNewswire) -- In a continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impact on the greater Philadelphia area's rich ecosystem of music performance, education, and community engagement, The Presser Foundation announces Special Project grants to 42 music organizations.
These grants, totaling $517,300, are in addition to previous commitments of $40,000 to The Mann Center for the Performing Arts and to Allentown Symphony Association.
The grants will be paid immediately to help these organizations to continue to weather the current COVID-19 crisis, which has forced so many music organizations to reimagine operations, performances and other activities.
Peter Burwasser, Chair of the Special Projects Committee, commented "The ongoing pandemic has created financial challenges to our beloved musical institutions of an unprecedented magnitude. In response, the Presser Foundation has felt obliged, but also greatly honored, to dramatically increase our support to these groups through our Special Projects granting committee.
Forty-two organizations of a great variety of scale and purpose will receive funding. They are comprised of six newer organizations, five pilot programs and 32 creative proposals, including many that requested funding for vital technology to enable virtual musical presentations."
The Presser Foundation is also pleased to announce the selection of 220 undergraduate schools of music and 16 graduate schools of music from across the country to receive Undergraduate Scholar and Graduate Music Awards ranging from $4,000 to $10,000 and totaling $1,040,000.
These Awards are designed to encourage and support in a special way the education and career of music students who exemplify high academic accomplishment, leadership, and citizenship.
Special Project Grants: (in alphabetical order)
American Composers Forum
Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Ars Nova Workshop
Art Sphere, Inc.
Astral Artists, Inc.
Bucks County Choral Society
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
Chester Children's Chorus
Choir School of Delaware
Encore Series Inc./The Philly POPS
Intercultural Journeys
Jazz Philadelphia
Kleine Kammermusik
LiveConnections DBA World Café Live
Lyric Fest
Mamadele Foundation
Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia
Music for Everyone
Musicopia
Nashirah: The Jewish Chorale of Greater Philadelphia
Network for New Music
Opera Philadelphia
OperaDelaware
Orchestra 2001
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society
Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute
Piffaro, The Renaissance Band
PRISM Quartet, Inc.
Singing City
Susquehanna Chorale
Tempesta di Mare, Inc.
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem
The Crossing
The Friends of Chamber Music of Reading, Inc.
The Georgia E. Gregory Interdenominational School of Music
The Philadelphia Orchestra
The Polyphonia Society
Trenton Music Makers
Wilmington Children's Chorus
Wilmington Concert Opera
Variant 6
Yun International Music Foundation
About The Presser Foundation
The Presser Foundation was established in 1939 under the Deeds of Trust and Will of the late music publisher Theodore Presser.
It is one of the few private foundations in the United States dedicated solely to music education and music philanthropy.
The Presser Foundation supports a broad range of classical symphonic, chamber, choral and vocal music performance and education through general operating and program grants to music organizations; capital grants for music building projects; undergraduate and graduate student awards; and assistance to retired music teachers.
Much of the grant making focus of the Foundation is on organizations and institutions in the 75-mile radius surrounding Center City Philadelphia. For more information:
SOURCES: The Presser Foundation; PRNewswire