Monday, July 20, 2026
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 Capital Support grants totaling $976,500 in single-year and multi-year grants to 24 music organizations, with $611,500 to be distributed this fiscal year. An additional $125,000 will be given this year for previous commitments. A complete listing by category of the grantee organizations is below.
These grants are awarded for capital projects of music organizations primarily in the Greater Philadelphia area. Capital projects include the construction of new facilities, the renovation or expansion of existing facilities, and organizations’ equipment, technology, hardware, and software needs as they create innovative, uplifting, and diverse music programming.
Our grantees are stewards of the spaces where residents enjoy, perform, and learn music. Each grant represents their vision to expand, modernize, and renew the spaces they’re in.
This year’s funded projects tell a story about what it takes to sustain a thriving musical community. With regards to technology, organizations are building and expanding recording studios that will give youth opportunities to produce and record their own music, while also giving other emerging artists professional-quality access without professional-level costs. Equipment grants were awarded to organizations supporting mobile music labs in bringing programming to Title I schools and non-traditional community venues, while others received funding for sound systems that enable consistent, high-quality performance across multiple performance sites. On the facilities side, grants are supporting roof replacements that protect irreplaceable performance spaces, new outdoor venues designed for community gathering, and rehearsal annexes that give students dedicated room to grow. Behind the scenes, these grants will help consolidate fragmented digital archives, update aging infrastructure, and support the adoption of software tools that help small staffs operate with greater sustainability and reach.
Chris Rinaldi, Chair of the Capital Support Committee, reflected on what this cycle of funding represents: “The infrastructure of musical life is what makes everything else possible – and this round of grants is a testament to how seriously our region’s organizations are thinking about their futures. The roof that keeps the concert hall dry, the recording studio that gives a student their first professional experience, the software that keeps a two-person staff running – these investments are the foundation on which great music gets made, and on which access to music depends. We’re proud to stand behind that work.”
2025-26 Capital Support Grantees (in alphabetical order by category)
Equipment, Technology, Hardware, Software Projects – $285,100 in one- and multi-year grants
• Artcinia – $12,250
• Beyond the Bars – $40,000
• Choral Arts Philadelphia – $7,500
• Elevate Vocal Arts – $11,000
• Esperanza – $14,250
• FamFrequency Productions – $6,400
• Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra – $4,500
• Jersey Surf – $27,500
• Lyric Fest – $12,500
• Musicopia – $20,000 multi-year grant
• Piffaro, The Renaissance Band – $8,700
• Princeton Symphony Orchestra – $40,000 multi-year grant
• PRISM Quartet – $6,000
• South Jersey Pops Orchestra – $6,500
• West Chester University – $23,000
• WXPN – $45,000 multi-year grant
Building & Renovation Projects – $641,400 in one- and multi-year grants
• Albright College – $75,000
• Bethany College – $25,000
• Hollins University – $25,000
• Rider University – $26,400
• The College of New Jersey – $100,000 multi-year grant
• The FAF Coalition – $125,000
• The Music School of Delaware – $65,000
• The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center – $250,000 multi-year grant
Previous & Deferred Capital Project Commitments
• Community Music School of Collegeville
• Curtis Institute of Music
• The Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts
• WRTI90.1FM
The Presser Foundation announces $1,518,500 in grants to 171 music organizations throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area, marking the first time the Foundation has distributed more than $1.5 million in a single grant cycle.* This year, 164 single-year grants and seven multi-year grants were awarded. Small organizations continued to represent a significant portion of grantees, with 65 organizations operating with budgets under $100,000, accounting for 38% of the total recipients. Twenty-three organizations are receiving Foundation support for the first time.
This year, many grantees are creating new programs to mark the U.S. Semiquincentennial. The Foundation’s flexible general operating support allows organizations to develop this type of work—whether they are performing and presenting groups activating local stages or music education organizations serving students throughout the region. Consistent, unrestricted funding continues to be vital for the region’s musical ecosystem.
William B. McLaughlin, III, Chair of the Advancement of Music Committee, commented, “We are proud to provide record support to our region’s music organizations. From concert halls to classrooms, our grantees are vital to the communities they serve, offering the connection, well-being, and joy that music uniquely provides. This funding reflects our commitment to ensuring that these organizations, and their immense talents, can reach everyone in our region.”
*Excluding 2020 COVID-19 emergency funding
Advancement of Music Grants: (in alphabetical order)
• 1807 & Friends, Inc.*
• Academy of Vocal Arts
• AfterShock Fam*
• Allentown Symphony Association
• Ambler Station Singers
• Ambler Symphony Orchestra*
• Anna Crusis Feminist Choir, Inc.
• Arcana New Music Ensemble
• Ars Nova Workshop
• Artistas y Musicos Latino Americanos (AMLA)
• ArtSmart
• Bay Atlantic Symphony, Inc.
• Berks Arts Council
• Berks Opera Company
• Berks Sinfonietta
• Berks Youth Chorus
• Beyond the Bars
• Black Music Preservation*
• Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra
• Boheme Opera Company, Inc.
• Bowerbird
• Brandywine Valley Symphony
• Bucks County Choral Society
• Bucks County Gilbert & Sullivan Society*
• Bucks County Symphony Society
• Cantus Novus
• Capital Harmony Works
• Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey
• Chamber Music Lehigh Valley
• Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
• Chesco Pops
• Chester Children’s Chorus
• Chester County Choral Society*
• Chester County Concert Band*
• 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
• Eastern University – Community Music School*
• EMEAPP (Electronic Music Education and Preservation Project)
• Esperanza – DBA Nueva Esperanza, Inc.
• FamFrequency Productions, Incorporated
• Filament
• Friends of the Wanamaker Organ
• Greater Philadelphia Choral Society*
• Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra
• Greater South Jersey Chorus
• Harrisburg Symphony Association
• IDEA Institute for the Development of Education in the Arts*
• Jazz Bridge Project
• Jersey Surf, Inc.*
• Journey Arts
• Keep Music Alive
• Kelly Music for Life*
• Lancaster International Piano Festival
• Lancaster Symphony Orchestra
• Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra
• Lebanon County Choral Society
• Lehigh Valley Chorale
• Lehigh Valley Community Broadcasters Association
• Lyra Society
• Lyric Fest
• Main Line Singers*
• Main Line Symphony Orchestra
• Mamadele Foundation
• Market Square Concerts
• Market Street Music
• Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia
• Mennonite Children’s Choir of Lancaster
• Montgomery County Chorale & Orchestra
• Montgomery County Concert Band
• Music at Bunker Hill
• Music at Gretna, Inc.
• Music for Everyone
• Musicopia
• Nashirah: The Jewish Chorale of Greater Philadelphia
• Network for New Music
• Opera Philadelphia
• OperaDelaware
• Orchestra 2001
• Orchestra Concordia Association
• Penn Live Arts
• Penn Square Opera
• Pennsylvania Philharmonic
• Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra
• Pennsylvania Symphonic Winds
• 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 Jazz Legacy Project*
• Philadelphia Sinfonia Association
• Philadelphia Youth Choral Ensembles
• Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute
• PhilHarmonia
• Philomusica Chorale
• Piffaro, The Renaissance Band
• Play On, Philly!
• Princeton Pro Musica*
• Princeton Symphony Orchestra
• PRISM Quartet, Inc.
• Project 440
• Reading Musical Foundation
• Reading Symphony Orchestra
• Relache, Inc.
• Riverside Symphonia
• Rock to the Future
• Rose Tree Pops Orchestra*
• Rowan Community Music School
• Settlement Music School
• Sharim v’Sharot
• Singing City
• Singing Hearts Choir Inc.
• South Jersey Pops Orchestra*
• Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra
• Sruti
• State Street Academy of Music
• State Theatre New Jersey
• Susquehanna Chorale
• Symphony in C
• Tempesta di Mare, Inc.
• Temple University Music Preparatory Division
• The Allentown Band
• The Bach Choir of Bethlehem
• The Brandywine Valley Chorale
• The Camerata Singers
• The Crossing, Inc.
• The Dryden Ensemble
• The Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy
• The Friends of Chamber Music of Reading
• The Georgia E. Gregory Interdenominational School of Music
• The Harrisburg Singers*
• The Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts
• The Jazz Sanctuary, inc.
• The Lotus Project of Trenton, Inc.
• The Music School of Delaware
• The New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra*
• The Organ Historical Society*
• The Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble
• The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center Inc.
• The Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey
• The Producer’s Guild*
• The Young People’s Philharmonic of the Lehigh Valley
• Tri-County Concerts Association, Inc.
• Valley Forge Chorus*
• Variant 6
• Voices Chorale NJ
• West Jersey Music Academy
• West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance*
• Westrick Music Academy
• Wheatland Chorale
• Wildflower Composers
• Wilmington Children’s Chorus
• Wilmington Concert Opera
• WRTI90.1FM
• WXPN
• 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.
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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