The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced $27.3 million in grants as part of its first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2020.
“Grants from the NEA truly support ACSO's vision of a California classical music landscape that is vibrant, healthy, diverse, and connected to the communities it serves. The NEA is truly the lifeblood of the arts in our country,” said ACSO Executive Director Sarah Weber.
Eight ACSO organizational members were awarded grants in the Art Works category, the NEA’s largest funding category that supports projects in 13 artistic disciplines and fields ranging from arts education to visual arts. One ACSO organization member was awarded a grant in the Challenge America category.
Art Works:
Long Beach Symphony
$20,000 Long Beach, CA
To support Violins of Hope – Los Angeles County, a community-wide residency and performance program.
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
$25,000 Los Angeles, CA
To support an artist residency with cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason.
Los Angeles Philharmonic
$85,000 Los Angeles, CA
To support artist fees for the Power to the People Festival.
Pacific Symphony
$25,000 Irvine, CA
To support artist and composer fees for a commissioning and performance project featuring a new work by Frank Ticheli celebrating the 30th anniversary of Music Director Carl St. Clair.
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale
$15,000 San Francisco, CA
To support performances of Aci, Galatea, e Polifemo by George Frideric Handel, with re-imagined recitatives by composer and sound designer Mark Grey.
San Diego Symphony Orchestra
$20,000 San Diego, CA
To support a co-commissioning and performance project of a new trumpet concerto by saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and NEA Jazz Master Paquito D'Rivera.
San Francisco Symphony
$75,000 San Francisco, CA
To support staff salaries and artist fees for an artist-in-residence program.
Santa Rosa Symphony
$15,000 Santa Rosa, CA
To support commissioning and artist fees for a new work by Mexican composer Enrico Chapela Barba premiering at Green Music Center at Sonoma State University.
Challenge America:
Carson City Symphony
$10,000 Carson City, NV
To support a series of concert performances featuring the musical traditions of Central and South America.
For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news. The next application deadline for NEA First Grants for Arts Projects is February 13, 2020.