$2.5M to Assist NYC Music Post September 11

Mellon Foundation’s Music Liberty Initiative for New York.

Written By

Molly Sheridan

The American Music Center today announced the grant recipients of the Mellon Foundation‘s Music Liberty Initiative for New York. The grants are intended to help small to mid-sized music organizations and composers in New York recover losses incurred in the aftermath of September 11.

Last fall the Mellon Foundation announced that $50 million would be made available to New York City arts and cultural organizations as well as public parks and individual artists. The AMC, along with the Alliance of Residence Theaters/NY and the New York Foundation for the Arts, was selected to distribute $2.5 million specifically to small and mid-sized music organizations and individual composers.

“The American Music Center is deeply grateful for this partnership with The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which made possible the Music Liberty Initiative for New York,” says AMC Executive Director Richard Kessler. “Our great city is home to a remarkable wealth of musical organizations and composers. It is our sincere hope that these grants will help to ensure the vitality of those organizations and artists whose work was significantly disrupted by the tragic events of September 11th.”

Michael Geller, Executive Director of the American Composers Orchestra, illustrates on a very practical level what the awards mean to the recipients. “It’s the best news we’ve had all year,” he acknowledges. “It will provide a good measure of stability to see us through this fiscal year, but also gives us a base to plan for the future.”

The funds are to be dispersed immediately. In total, New York City music organizations will receive grants totaling $2.4 million and 23 composers will receive grants totaling $100,000.

Organizations receiving a Music Liberty Initiative grant include: