By Sepehr Pirasteh Philadelphia is home to a vibrant music scene, enriched by organizations such as Wildflower Composers, Play On Philly, as well as collaborations like All-City Orchestra’s partnership with Network for New Music. These programs have made significant strides in nurturing young composers by offering them platforms to explore and express their creativity. As…
This is one in a series of blog posts featuring each one of The Presser Foundation’s Board and Committee members. These individuals come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences but have one trait in common – they love music. Keep an eye out on the series to learn more about each member, their background,…
By Wendy Chen Gunther 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 graduate music students who have the potential to make a…
Image: The Montgomery County Chorale & Orchestra on stage at their Spring 2023 performance. Pulled from reports written by Diane Duda, 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…
This is one in a series of blog posts featuring each one of The Presser Foundation’s Board and Committee members. These individuals come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences but have one trait in common – they love music. Keep an eye out on the series to learn more about each member, their background,…
The Presser Foundation Will Distribute More Than $787,000 in Capital Support Grants in 2024The Presser Foundation is pleased to announce new Capital Support grants totaling $474,125 in single year and multi-year grants to 16 music organizations. Grant payments made in 2024 for previous commitments total $363,500. A full listing by category of the grantee organizations…
By Sepehr Pirasteh, Graduate Music Fellow As the Graduate Music Fellow at the Presser Foundation, I had the opportunity to interview Badie Khaleghian, one of the recipients of the Graduate Music Award and ask about his project, Sounds of Freedom. Badie is a DMA student at Rice University, and I had been following his artistic…
A photo collage of some of the 2022-23 Undergraduate Scholar Award recipients During the 2023-24 year, The Presser Foundation Undergraduate Scholar Award program has undergone a “fundamental realignment,” a term used by Scholar Award Committee Chair Dr. Mark Wait to describe how the changes made to the program itself and its overall process. One of…
This is one in a series of blog posts featuring each one of The Presser Foundation’s Board and Committee members. These individuals come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences but have one trait in common – they love music. Keep an eye out on the series to learn more about each member, their background,…
By Sepehr Pirasteh, Graduate Music Fellow In the ever-evolving landscape of the music field, there’s a growing recognition of the need to diversify concert programs and decolonize our musical repertoire. But how can we effectively navigate this complex terrain? Community engagement emerges as a pivotal strategy in this endeavor. The Presser Foundation hosted a Next…