Early Music America offers awards of up to $1,500 annually to support engagement projects for children and/or adults by organizations, ensembles, and individual artists. The awards are intended to promote awareness and appreciation of early music and historical performance with the goal of drawing new audiences and participants.
Seed Grants: If an organization has a new engagement program and has no prior engagement experience, the judges may choose to award a $500 “seed grant” rather than an Engagement Award. If, during the year covered by the seed grant, the organization implements its program successfully, application for a full or partial engagement ‘implementation’ award may be made the following year. However, depending on the strength of other applications that year, there is no guarantee that such an award will be given.
Engagement includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Early-music activities that focus on children, in or out of school.
- Early-music activities in public and private schools.
- Lifelong learning courses on early music.
- Web, video, podcast, or other creative activities that advance public awareness and enjoyment of early music.
- Early-music activities that reach underserved audiences and populations and historically underfunded racial or ethnic identity groups, especially African-American, Asian-American, Latinx, and Indigenous communities.
Eligibility, Required Materials, and Application Instructions available below.
The application period is April-May each year.
Funded projects may take place beginning July of the award year through June of the following year.
2024 Recipients
Amelia Sie, New York, NY
“Baroque Explorers: Unleashing Creativity in the Young Musician Through Improvisation” an interactive project designed to introduce young musicians to composition and improvisation using Baroque techniques.
Bach & Beethoven Experience, Chicago, IL
Baroque workshop residency in partnership with the The Peoples Music School including a public performance under guest conductor Nicholas Kraemer.
Forgotten Clefs, Bloomington, IN
“Shawms and Stories” a musical storytelling program for children and their families in eight Indiana libraries, museums, and community centers.
Past Engagement Award Recipients (2011-present)
2023
Early Music Associates
KC Baroque Consortium
Les Délices
Musicians of the Old Post Road
Seattle Historical Arts for Kids
2022
Kasia Bielak-Hoops
Jonathon Hampton
Vikram Joshi
Sarasa Chamber Music Ensemble
Sonido Barroco San Antonio
2020-21
No Awards Given
2019
The Brandenburg Project
Burning River Baroque
Kaleidoscope Vocal Ensemble
Arkansas Baroque Music, Inc.
2018
Les Délices
Forgotten Clefs
Savannah Baroque
S’Cool Sounds
2017
Ars Musica Chicago
Bach Around the Clock
Early Music Associates
Seattle Historical Arts for Kids
Singen und Sagen
2016
Blue Hill Bach
Carol Lewis
Catacoustic Consort
Polyhymnia
Special Music School
2015
Belladonna
Early Music in Motion
Julie Elhard
Les Canards Chantants
Pegasus Rising
2014
Filigree Baroque
Lycoming Baroque Choir and Orchestra (formerly Billtown Baroque)
Salish Sea Players
Three Notch’d Road
World of Harpsichord
2013
The Connecticut Early Music Society
Jouyssance Early Music Ensemble
2012
Ars Lyrica Houston
Echoing Air
Jessica Powell and the Capitol Consort of Viols
MYSO (Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra) Baroque Players
The Rose Ensemble
2011
Catacoustic Consort
Jessica Powell and the Capitol Consort of Viols
Lisa Terry
Seattle Historical Arts for Kids
College-Level Development Grant (2011-2017)
From 2011 to 2017 Early Music America offered grants annually to college or university Early Music Ensembles to support a specific project or event that will enrich or broaden the educational experience of the students, and/or help to elevate the profile of such ensembles on campus, in their community or nationally.
2017
Reed College Collegium Musicum
2016
Case-Western Reserve University Baroque Chamber and Dance Ensembles
Texas Tech University Early Music Ensemble
2015
University of Oregon Collegium Musicum
2014
CWRU Baroque Music and Dance Ensembles
Cornell Baroque Orchestra
2013
Rutgers Mason Gross School for the Arts
Western Michigan University Collegium Musicum
2012
Metropolitan State College of Denver Early Music Ensemble
St. Olaf Early Music Singers and Collegium Musicum
2011
The University of Texas at Austin Early Music Ensemble