RPO TO RECEIVE $20K FROM THE NEA
For its Care and Wellness Initiative in 2023
Includes Sensory-Friendly Concert this spring
Rochester, NY – The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is pleased to announce that it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to receive a Grants for Arts Projects award of $20,000. This grant will support the continuation of the RPO’s Care and Wellness Initiative in 2023, which includes ensemble visits, open rehearsals, and an all-new Sensory-Friendly Concert this spring. This grant is one of 1,251 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling nearly $28.8 million that were recently announced by the NEA as part of its first round of fiscal year 2023 grants.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects in communities nationwide,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “Projects such as this one with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra strengthen arts and cultural ecosystems, provide equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, and contribute to the health of our communities and our economy.”
“We are thrilled to receive this funding to help us continue and expand our efforts to make the RPO accessible to everyone, from seniors with neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia, to children with autism and other intellectual and developmental challenges,” says RPO President & CEO Curtis L. Long. “Our musicians have received special training from professional music therapists to work with these individuals, and we look forward to adding to our current 16 community partners with this grant.”
ABOUT THE RPO: The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has been committed to enriching and inspiring our community through the art of music since its origins in 1922. The RPO presents approximately 150 concerts and broadcasts a year, serving up to 170,000 people through ticketed events, education and community engagement activities, and concerts in schools and community centers throughout the region. Music Director Andreas Delfs joins the ranks of former notable RPO music directors, including Erich Leinsdorf, David Zinman, Mark Elder, Ward Stare, and Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman. Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik, now in his 29th season, has earned a national reputation for excellence in pops programming during his tenure with the RPO. The RPO reaches more than 15,000 youth through its specific education programs.
The RPO thanks Season Sponsor M&T Bank, Pops Series Sponsors Canandaigua National Bank & Wegmans, and Special Series Sponsor Pittsford Federal Credit Union. RPO performances are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. The RPO is supported in part by an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support general operating expenses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Media please note: For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news. High-resolution images and other media assets for the 2022-23 Season can be found at https://bit.ly/3Rki4CL. Interviews and photo/footage opportunities are also available.