Leon Bates: 1949-2025 Renowned pianist, lifelong Philadelphian, and longtime Trustee of The Presser Foundation Leon Bates passed away on November 21, 2025. As a child growing up in Germantown, Bates showed talent as early as age 6, later attending both Settlement Music School and Temple University. For more than five decades, he performed across the…
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…
Each summer, The Presser Foundation staff look closely at the previous years’ applications and reports, asking themselves one key question: What’s truly essential? Our goal is to keep only the questions that inform grant decisions so that applicants can spend less time completing paperwork and more time performing music, presenting music, and educating music students…
By Jeremy Jefferson, Graduate Music Fellow Introduction AI has become a trending topic lately for a multitude of reasons: How does it affect the environment? Is its risk beneficial or ultimately detrimental? Is it ethical and moral, and to what extent will we as humans use, and ultimately, depend on it? All of these are…
The Presser Foundation has approved the nominations of 265 exceptional music students nationwide as 2025-26 Undergraduate Scholar Award recipients, providing nearly $800,000 to advance the next generation of musicians. Each Presser Scholar receives $3,000 in recognition of their outstanding achievements in musical and academic performance, leadership and service, and contributions to building inclusive communities. The…
From left to right: Ambler Station Singers, Mosaic Youth Chorus, Mendelssohn Chorus By Jeremy Jefferson, Graduate Music Fellow Introduction It’s been around five months since I’ve started my Fellowship with The Presser Foundation, and I cannot express how thankful I am for this time. I’ve learned so much about philanthropy, grantmaking, and above all, how…
By Kate Houstoun On one evening in November 2025 – one hundred years after Theodore Presser’s passing – more than 200 people from over 150 organizations gathered in Philadelphia for the first time, forming in one place the musical community The Presser Foundation has supported for a century. Grantees, trustees, musicians, and longtime partners came…
By Dr. Alan Levenson, 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 final say over the contents and structure of the post.…
This is one in a series of blog posts featuring each member of The Presser Foundation‘s Board and Committee. These individuals come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences but have one trait in common—they love music. Keep an eye out for the series to learn more about each member, their background, and why they…
By Jeremy Jefferson Community What does it mean to have community? For some, it’s simply being and interacting with other people. For others, it’s the city, town, or area that they live in. For me, it comes from the heart. My heart is connected to all of those in my circles and that’s what makes…