grant for chamber music

National Endowment for the Arts Invites Applications for American Masterpieces: Chamber Music
Deadline: October 10, 2008

American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius ( http://www.nea.gov/national/masterpieces/index.html ) is a major initiative to acquaint Americans with the best of their cultural and artistic legacy. Through American Masterpieces, the National Endowment for the Arts ( http://www.nea.gov/ ) will sponsor performances, exhibitions, tours, and educational prog- rams across all art forms that reach large and small communities in all fifty states. The Chamber Music component of American Masterpieces will pro- vide grants for chamber music performances in conjunction with educational activities that highlight specific repertoire by American composers and enable ensembles to engage with communi- ties in a variety of settings.

The NEA is particularly interested in projects that have at least one performance and two educa- tional activities. For the purposes of this initiative, chamber music generally is defined as one player to a part, performed without a conductor, with between two and ten players; duos must perform as an en- semble of equal partners. Chamber music encompasses music for traditional ensembles such as string quartets and trios, as well as compositions for mixed ensembles, traditional and indigenous instruments, and jazz. Projects may include recordings and broad- casts. Commissions and premiere performances are not eligible. Projects must be accompanied by related educational, inter- pretive, or contextual components. Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S.-based organizations; units of state or local government; or federally recognized tribal com- munities or tribes may apply.

Projects may be initiated by eligible organizations of all sizes, genres, and aesthetics, including ensembles, presenters, festivals, and colleges and universities. Applicants must have a three-year history of programming that includes the production or presentation of chamber music perfor- mances and educational activities prior to the application deadline. Grants generally will range from $5,000 to $75,000 each and require a non-federal match of at least 1:1. See the NEA Web site for complete program information.

RFP Link: http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15015000/neagov