Fellow Baker Purdon. Photo by Jacob Smith Photography, Courtesy of Temple University Last year, The Presser Foundation launched a graduate music student fellowship. The Fellow attends and writes about grantee performances/programs for the Foundation’s communication platforms. This work increases the Foundation’s transparency, amplifies grantee partners, and gives the Fellow the opportunity to learn about music…
The supporting organizations that The Presser Foundation supports. From top left clockwise: Penn Live Arts, Temple Music Prep, Chester Children’s Chorus, Zoellner Arts Center, Rowan Community Music School, WRTI By Abby Rolland The Presser Foundation seeks to serve a number of different types of music organizations creating, performing, presenting, and educating. To do so means…
By Baker Purdon The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia recently presented Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons paired with Max Richter’s revisionist imagining of the same work, The Four Seasons, Recomposed. I’d like to tell you a little bit about each work, the performance, and share my thoughts about how recomposing, as Richter has done with this piece,…
By Samantha Williams 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 distinguished…
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 Baker Purdon, Music Fellow History Since the inception of the United States, the American orchestra has been predominantly local in scope. Before the Civil War, most American orchestras operated within the boundaries of a single city and its immediate vicinity. They were generally either standing orchestras in local theaters, ad hoc orchestras for special…
Kevin Lopez received the 2021-22 Undergraduate Scholar Award from Texas Woman’s University (TWU) and applied the award funds as a scholarship. He shared his background and what the award means to him with the Foundation. What does receiving this scholarship assistance mean to you? I am beyond appreciative to receive this scholarship assistance. As…
Photo Description: Singers Jarrod Lee, Toni Marie Palmertree, Andrew Bidlack and Hannah Ludwig performing at an open-air Pop-Up Opera event. As part of The Presser Foundation’s drive to be more transparent and to amplify the work of its partners, it has begun to use information from grant reports to highlight its grantees. Each post will…
By Dr. Susan Dantoni Susan Dantoni received the 2021-22 Undergraduate Scholar Award from Roberts Wesleyan University. She wrote this thank you letter to the Foundation. I wish to express my sincere appreciation for the opportunity afforded me of being selected as the Roberts Wesleyan University Presser Scholar for the 2022-2023 school year. There were many…
Pianist Laura Ward, soprano Magdalena Kuzma (center) and mezzo Sun-Ly Pierce at the Academy of Vocal Arts. Photo courtesy of The Chestnut Hill Local. By Baker Purdon, Music Fellow When I accepted The Presser Foundation’s Graduate Music Fellowship, I knew I would have the opportunity to see some of the best performances Philadelphia has at…