Image: A preliminary rendering of Tanda Francis’ Marian Anderson sculpture shows how it would appear. Courtesy of Tanda Francis. In 2020, Philadelphia Inquirer Arts & Culture reporter Peter Dobrin proposed that Philadelphia needed “a sculpture or monument to Marian Anderson, the late singer, civil rights figure, and city daughter, and it should sit smack dab…
Bassoonist and chamber music proponent Anthony “Tony” Checchia passed away on September 7, 2024 in Philadelphia. A graduate of Curtis Institute in 1951, Checchia served in the U.S. Navy Band and performed with the Baltimore Symphony and New York City Ballet. It was when he and co-founder Philip Maneval noticed a lack of a chamber…
A collage of 2023-24 Presser Scholar Award recipients. One year ago, The Presser Foundation implemented several significant changes to the Undergraduate Scholar Award program. These changes included adding 32 Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to the program, shifting the focus from institution to student recipient with the addition of a…
In a guest blog post written for Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, staff discussed transparency, why it matters in the work of philanthropy, and how it is manifested at The Presser Foundation. Here, we seek to add another concept related to transparency that has been practiced for the past ten years at the Foundation – having…
Wilmington Children’s Chorus Ariel Alvarado during her Fellowship year. By Ariel Alvarado One would imagine a children’s chorus would solely serve children, but this year the Wilmington Children’s Chorus (WCC) expanded its services to include a twenty-four-year-old. Some background: WCC is an organization dedicated to empowering young people to change their world through music. This…
Summer intern Chris Dolich with fellow intern Kayleigh Howard outside the former Presser Home for Retired Music Teachers. By Chris Dolich, The Presser Foundation Summer Intern During my time as a summer intern at The Presser Foundation, I have been exposed to the many ways that the Board and staff strive to achieve their mission…
Shayna Singer received the 2023-24 Undergraduate Scholar Award from Florida State University. She wrote this letter after receiving the Award. Dear Presser Foundation, My name is Shayna Singer, and I am a senior in the class of 2024 studying vocal performance and choral music education! I am originally from Manhattan but moved to Delray Beach,…
Image: A GEGISOM student playing piano. Pulled from reports written by Dr. Joyce Drayton, organized by Abby Rolland* As part of The Presser Foundation’s drive to be more transparent and to amplify the work of its partners, it uses information from grant reports to highlight its grantees. Each post will spotlight one partner, who has…
By Sepehr Pirasteh Being a composer can feel a bit like living in an artist’s cave. We spend countless hours absorbed in our own creative worlds, meticulously crafting something that eventually blossoms into art. However, my fellowship at The Presser Foundation pushed me to crack the walls of my creative isolation, forcing me to step…
Summer intern Chris Dolich working at the Foundation. By Chris Dolich, The Presser Foundation Summer Intern For music performance students, there is a great deal of uncertainty, but also opportunity, regarding post-graduation career and employment opportunities. As a jazz performance student at the Frost School of Music, I decided to apply for the summer internship…