Tuesday, November 11, 2025
The Presser Foundation, founded by Theodore Presser and based in Philadelphia, provides philanthropic support of music and serves a broad and diverse community of musicians, educators, and music lovers.
The Presser Foundation is pleased to announce new Special Projects single-year and multi-year grants, totaling $201,735 to 25 music organizations. This investment underscores the Foundation’s commitment to fostering resilience and supporting new music organizations in Greater Philadelphia. This year’s grants include two categories and aim to strengthen music organizations in order to meet current funding challenges.
1. Resilience Grants for Small Music Organizations Affected by Government Funding or Policy Changes: $73,235 given to 12 organizations*
2. General Operating Support for Newer Music Organizations: $128,500 granted to 16 recipients*
*3 organizations will receive both a Resilience Grant & General Operating Support.
Additionally, the Foundation will honor $77,500 in previous commitments, bringing the total impact to $281,235.
Peter Burwasser, Chair of the Special Projects Committee, emphasized the resilience and creativity behind this year’s grants:
“In times of increasing uncertainty, The Presser Foundation is committed to providing the necessary support for our grantees to not only survive but thrive. Resilience Grants, introduced this year, are intended to help music organizations with budgets under $150,000 to adapt and innovate in response to changes in government funding of the arts. The wide range of projects and partnerships with schools, other nonprofits, and local corporations demonstrates the many ways that small music organizations seek to strengthen their work.”
Burwasser added, “We are especially pleased that this year sets two records for general operating support to newer music organizations: the highest total amount awarded, and the greatest number of organizations supported since the category’s inception. Despite the challenges faced by cultural arts more broadly, music in the Greater Philadelphia Area remains vibrant and vital to cultural connection and community wellbeing.”
2025-26 SPECIAL PROJECTS GRANTEES (in alphabetical order by category)
Resilience Grants
• Arcana New Music Ensemble
• Art Sphere
• Aurora Classical
• Berks Opera Company
• Crescendo Phoenixville
• Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society
• Philomusica Chorale
• The Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble
• Wildflower Composers
General Operating Support
• Art City Opera
• Artcinia
• B.U.I.L.T. (Bringing Unity into Lives Together)
• Elevate Vocal Arts
• East Brunswick Symphony Orchestra
• Epiphany Singers
• Fire Museum Presents
• IndependentSounds
• Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra
• Philly Pops
• Serafin Presents
• The Heart of Jazz Foundation
• The Primavera Fund
Resilience Grant + General Operating Support
• All Around This World
• East Passyunk Opera Project
• Mosaic Youth Chorus
ABOUT THE PRESSER FOUNDATION
The Presser Foundation was established in 1939 under the will of the late 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 considers applications for funding from music organizations working in a broad range of traditions, genres, and styles through general operating and program grants (Greater Philadelphia); capital grants for music building projects (Greater Philadelphia); undergraduate and graduate student awards (national); and assistance to retired music teachers (national). The Foundation is committed to equitable, transparent, and forward-thinking philanthropy. For more information: www.presserfoundation.org
The Presser Foundation will award $1,445,500 in Advancement of Music grants to 148 music organizations throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area. This year, the number of applications and organizational diversity significantly increased. The Foundation received 142 proposals, a notable increase from 121 the previous year. Thirty-four new organizations applied for funding. Small organizations seeking support also rose considerably, with 52 organizations operating with budgets under $100,000.
This year’s grantees demonstrate strong commitments to several key areas. Community engagement emerged as a vital focus, with music presenting, music performing and music educating organizations forming local partnerships, presenting programs in non-traditional venues, developing multilingual programming and marketing, and offering free concerts and events. Diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives were also prominent, with organizations actively working to diversify their boards, staff, and audiences. Many organizations focused on programming and commissioning works by people of color and women, while expanding financial assistance and improving venue accessibility. Educational outreach and youth programs remained a cornerstone, with organizations offering free or reduced-cost music lessons, establishing partnerships with local schools, and creating mentorship and internship opportunities for young musicians.
William B. McLaughlin, III, Chair of the Advancement of Music Committee, commented, “Music is an essential component of what makes cities shine. We are pleased to provide unprecedented support to various music organizations that deliver a wide range of services to communities in Greater Philadelphia. High quality performances, an emphasis on educational outreach and community engagement, and a strong commitment to equity and inclusivity mark this year’s grantee recipients. They demonstrate how and why music is necessary in creating a vibrant community.”
Advancement of Music Grants: (in alphabetical order)
Academy of Vocal Arts
Allentown Symphony Association
Ambler Station Singers*
Anna Crusis Feminist Choir, Inc.
Arcana New Music Ensemble*
Ars Nova Workshop
Artistas y Musicos Latino Americanos (AMLA)
ArtSmart
Bay Atlantic Symphony, Inc.
Berks Opera Company*
Berks Sinfonietta
Berks Youth Chorus
Beyond the Bars
Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra
Boheme Opera Company*
Bowerbird
Bucks County Choral Society
Bucks County Symphony Society
Cantus Novus*
Capital Harmony Works
Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey
Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz
Chamber Music Lehigh Valley
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
Chesco Pops
Chester Children’s Chorus
Choir School of Delaware
Choral Arts Philadelphia
Christina Cultural Arts Center
Community Music School Lehigh Valley
Community Music School of Collegeville
Community Youth Orchestra of Bucks County
Concord Chamber Singers
Concordia Chamber Players
Crescendo Phoenixville
Darlington Arts Center
Delaware Choral Arts Association
Delaware County Symphony
Delaware County Youth Orchestra
Delaware Symphony Orchestra
Delaware Valley Lyric Opera Guild
Dolce Suono Ensemble
EMEAPP (Electronic Music Education and Preservation Project)*
Esperanza
FamFrequency Productions*
Filament
Friends of the Wanamaker Organ
Generation Music*
Glassbrook Vocal Ensemble*
Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra*
Greater South Jersey Chorus
Harrisburg Symphony Association
Jazz Bridge Project*
Journey Arts
Keep Music Alive*
Kennett Symphony of Chester County
Lancaster International Piano Festival
Lancaster Symphony Orchestra
Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra
Lebanon County Choral Society*
Lehigh Valley Chorale*
Lehigh Valley Community Broadcasters Association*
LiveConnections DBA World Cafe Live
Lyra Society
Lyric Fest
Main Line Symphony Orchestra
Mamadêlê Foundation
Market Square Concerts
Market Street Music
Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia
Mennonite Children’s Choir of Lancaster
Montgomery County Chorale & Orchestra
Montgomery County Concert Band*
Music at Bunker Hill
Music at Gretna
Music for Everyone
Musicopia
Nashirah: The Jewish Chorale of Greater Philadelphia
Network for New Music
Opera Delaware
Opera Philadelphia
Orchestra 2001
Orchestra Concordia Association*
Penn Live Arts
Pennsylvania Philharmonic
Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra
Pennsylvania Symphonic Winds
Philadelphia Boys and Girls Choirs
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society
Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society*
Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz & Performing Arts
Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus
Philadelphia Heritage Chorale, Inc.
Philadelphia Sinfonia Association
Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute
PhilHarmonia*
Philomusica Chorale
Piffaro, The Renaissance Band
Play On, Philly! (POP)
Princeton Symphony Orchestra
PRISM Quartet
Project 440
Reading Musical Foundation
Reading Symphony Orchestra
Riverside Symphonia
Rock to the Future
Settlement Music School
Sharim v’Sharot*
Singing City
Singing Hearts Choir Inc.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra
Sruti
State Street Academy of Music*
State Theatre New Jersey
Susquehanna Chorale
Symphony in C
Tempesta di Mare
Temple University Music Preparatory Division
The Allentown Band
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem
The Brandywine Valley Chorale
The Camareta Singers*
The Crossing
The Dryden Ensemble*
The Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy*
The Friends of Chamber Music Reading, Inc.
The Georgia E. Gregory Interdenominational School of Music
The Jazz Sanctuary
The Lotus Project of Trenton*
The Mann Center for Performing Arts
The Music School of Delaware
The Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble*
The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center Inc.
The Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey
The Young People’s Philharmonic of the Lehigh Valley
Tri-County Concerts Association, Inc.
Variant 6
Voices Chorale NJ
West Jersey Music Academy*
Westrick Music Academy
Wheatland Chorale*
Wilmington Children’s Chorus
Wilmington Concert Opera
WRTI90.1FM
WXPN*
Young Women Composers dba Wildflower Composers
Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey
Zoellner Arts Center
*Denotes a new Advancement of Music grantee.
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 music organizations working in a broad range of traditions, genres, and styles 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: www.presserfoundation.org.
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