Blog

The Presser Foundation is pleased to announce the approval of 15 exceptional music awards of $10,000 each, totaling $150,000. These awards are given to outstanding students at prestigious music higher education institutions across the country. The Graduate Music Award is intended to encourage and support the advanced education and careers of graduate music students who…

Photos of Leon Lewis-Nicol, as well as a section of his arrangement created a one of his project’s activities. By Leon Lewis-Nicol Invited annually, graduate schools of music present the Presser Graduate Music Award to an outstanding graduate music student whom they select. The program is designed to encourage and support in a special way…

Image: Robert Drake showing new equipment for WXPN, a performance at the Museum of Music Technology with its new equipment. Since its founding in 1925, The Presser Foundation has supported capital projects. Theodore Presser himself shared in his will that the Foundation would “increase the value of music education as given by any present or…

By Jeremy Jefferson, Graduate Music Fellow Graduate Music Fellow Jeremy Jefferson interviewed Dr. Nabile Galván Garcia, the 2023-24 Graduate Music Award recipient from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Her project was a multiple-case study conducted in 2024-25 that explored the lived experiences of five Latiné undergraduate music education students who were the first in…

From left to right: Dover Quartet (presented by Philadelphia Chamber Music Society), Renaissance String Quartet (presented by Tri-County Concerts), Balourdet Quartet (presented by Market Square Concerts) By Jeremy Jefferson, Graduate Music Fellow Throughout my Fellowship, I’ve mentioned chamber music in multiple posts. Chamber music is such a transformative experience for many musicians and is critical…

The Undergraduate Scholar Award was established by The Presser Foundation to celebrate undergraduate music students who have achieved a high level of musical and academic excellence, demonstrated leadership and service, and contributed to an inclusive community. Each year, one student in their final year at hundreds of higher education institutions across the country is chosen as the…

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…

Kellan Dunlap presents his song cycles on gun violence in schools.  By Kellan Dunlap Invited annually, graduate schools of music present the Presser Graduate Music Award to an outstanding graduate music student whom they select. The program is designed to encourage and support in a special way the advanced education and career of truly exceptional…