Ensemble Forward

Funded consultant projects can include one or two of the following: 

• Strategic planning; 
• Marketing & Communications assessments and planning; 
• Social Media & Website assessments and planning; 
• Board assessment and planning; 
• Audience assessment and planning;
• Financial assessment and planning; 
• Development (fundraising) assessment and planning; 
• Technology assessment and planning. 

If the total consultant project will cost more than $10,000, applicants must provide a clear plan describing where the additional funds will come from.

Up to $5,000 can be used for paying the consultant(s) for the work for the project.

At least $5,000 will be for the ensemble to use towards their time for coordination, internal meetings, implementation, and other tasks needed to produce the project.

Applications are due to Chamber Music America by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, September 25, 2025. Award notifications are made in late December. 

Grants are $10,000 per grant. The program will fund 100% of eligible expenses. No matching funds are required.

All Ensemble Forward grant projects must take place during the grant period between January 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026. 

The parts of the grant project include: 

1. Grant Project for Ensembles: Ensemble Forward grant program consultant projects funded through the individual awards to grantee ensembles.
2. Learning Residentials: Workshops for grantee ensembles, led by business professionals, offering relevant career development expertise. This curriculum will take place during the grant period. Possible topics will include organizational management, budgeting, taxes, fundraising, marketing, copyright, etc. The topics presented will be based on the needs of the grantee cohort. Grantees will be surveyed about their needs as part of the awarding of the grant. The sessions will be held virtually via Zoom. Participation is not optional.
3. Professional development event during May – National Chamber Music Month in New York City
4. Consultations with CMA Staff: Check-ins with CMA staff on the group’s progress throughout the grant cycle.

Each grantee ensemble will need to have ensemble member representation present for all of the workshops offered, including National Chamber Music Month events, in-person, in New York City.

Please Note: Grant funds are taxable income; grantees must comply with all applicable city, state, and federal laws, ordinances, codes, and regulations regarding the reporting of grant funds. 

Funded projects will include up to two business consultants to work with the ensemble to improve business structure and/or business development. The projects will be funded up to $10,000.

Chamber Music America gives priority to ensembles that:
  

• Perform Western European classical and/or contemporary chamber music and are based in the five boroughs of New York City. 
• Create more access to Western European classical and/or contemporary chamber music. 
• Foster a sense of respect and appreciation for Western European classical and/or contemporary chamber music. 
• Create opportunities to engage with current and new audiences. 

Applicants can work with up to two consultants of their choosing that demonstrate relevant and appropriate expertise, skills, or required licensing to carry out the proposed project. 

Applicants may consult with CMA staff to help identify consultant(s) for their ensemble. The consultant(s) must be a U.S. business entity. 

Applications may be submitted by ensembles based in one of the five boroughs of New York City. 

An applicant ensemble is eligible if: 

• It consists of 2–10 musicians with fixed personnel and instrumentation or is part of a flexible roster or a collective that performs in varying configurations of no more than 10 musicians. 
• In the case of a duo, the ensemble performs as equal partners, rather than as soloist and accompanist, and consistently publicizes itself as a duo. 
• It is based in one of the five boroughs of New York City. 
• A minimum of one member of the ensemble is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. (This member will be the primary applicant/primary contact for the application and for the grant if the ensemble is awarded. The primary contact for the grant is responsible for all tax-related work and CMA reporting.) 
• It performs Western European classical and/or contemporary chamber music.

The applicant ensemble: 

• Members can be recent conservatory, college, or community college graduates or have reached a high level of performance through other music instruction. 
• Can include a member that is on track to graduate before December 2025 or members that are ABD (All-But-Dissertation). 
• Emerging, mid-career, or established ensembles that wish to move their group forward organizationally. 
• Ensembles can only have one (1) Ensemble Forward grant open at one time. This means prior grantees must have finished their project and submitted a final report. 
• Needs to be in compliance with all terms and conditions of all previous Chamber Music America grants. This means no overdue reports or financial obligations. 

Ineligible Requests include: 

• Projects that require a fiscal sponsor
• Projects requesting funding for: 
  • Individuals 
  • Ensembles in their first year  
  • More than one application for the same ensemble 
  • Student ensembles 
  • Ensembles whose primary musical focus is opera, choral works, and/or producing incidental music for other media 
  • Ensembles/organizations with outstanding (past due) obligations to Chamber Music America 

Non-profit status is not required for ensembles to apply. 

Current grantees who have an active grant project in progress cannot apply for an Ensemble Forward grant.

Ensemble Forward applications are reviewed by an independent panel of business professionals familiar with the needs of the chamber music field; CMA staff and board do not provide scores or select applicants.

The panel will review and score: 

Written application– 70% of the score 

• Who is the “point person(s)” from your ensemble that will work with the consultant(s) (staff person, board member, artistic director, etc.)? Why are they best suited for this role? 
• A description of the project or challenge(s) that the consultant(s) is helping the ensemble create a solution for (Why is this the right consultant for the ensemble and the project?) 
• A clear explanation of how this project will help benefit the ensemble and improve its capacity and bring the ensemble forward. 
• A proposal from the consultant(s), including a detailed explanation of the work to be done during the grant period and schedule for completion. 
• The extent to which the project will increase the ensemble’s ability to reach audiences for their work. 
• How the Learning Residentials will be valuable for the ensemble’s career as a group and what key areas the ensemble is seeking additional career advancement in? 

Budget – 20% of score 

• Evidence that the applicant has an understanding of industry rates for activities planned and capacity to carry out the project within the projected budget. (If the total project budget is over $10,000 the applicant must describe how they will pay for additional expenses.) 

Audio sample – 10% of the score 

• An audio sample representing the group’s ability to perform Western European classical and/or contemporary music at a high level (technical skill and musicianship). 

If awarded, one New York City-based member of the ensemble must serve as the primary contact for the grant. They will be responsible for:  

• serving as the grant contact for CMA on behalf of the ensemble 
• providing government issued documentation as proof of their U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status 
• Providing proof of their New York City domicile 
• scheduling the consulting sessions  
• receiving and managing the grant funds including tax responsibilities 
• filing all required reporting and associated documentation with CMA 

Grant funds will be disbursed as follows: 

• Upon successful completion of the Grant Agreement, grantees will receive an initial disbursement of 80% of grant funds. This significant portion of funding is intended to allow for substantial progress in organizational development and planning from the outset. 
• The remaining 20% of the grant will be disbursed upon completion of the project and submission of a final report. 

Grant funds are taxable income; grantees must comply with all applicable city, state, and federal laws, ordinances, codes, and regulations regarding the reporting of grant funds.

All grant awarded ensembles are required to participate in additional career training, advancement, and networking opportunities through CMA’s Learning Residentials. Learning Residentials are learning sessions tailored to the needs of each Ensemble Forward grantee group over the course of the grant period. Sessions are led by composers, ensemble leaders, presenters, as well as business professionals. Participation is not optional.
 

CMA uses the online application platform Submittable. Go to https://cma.submittable.com to create a free Submittable account if you do not already have one. 

• Complete the online form directly or draft your responses in an offline document such as Word, Pages, or Google Docs as backup, then copy/paste your information into the online application. 
• To save the work you have done on your application, you must click SAVE DRAFT at the bottom of the form before exiting.  
• You can return to your saved application to continue working on it by following the log-in instructions. 
• CMA recommends that you also save your draft in an offline document as backup. 
• The application will close promptly at 11:59 PM ET on Thursday, September 25, 2025. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications at least 24 hours in advance of the deadline to avoid any last-minute complications. 

Uploads 

• A CV or resume of up to 3 pages for all consultants participating in the project that demonstrates appropriate skills to carry out the project. 
• A proposal or summary, prepared by the selected consultant(s), that defines the scope of work the consultant(s) would perform and lists professional fees to be charged.

Audio Upload: 

• An audio sample representing the group’s ability to perform Western European classical and/or contemporary music at a high level.  
• One ensemble audio sample is required and must be uploaded to the online application. 
• The sample should be up to 4 minutes and feature works for small ensemble (2-10 musicians). 
• The sample must feature either the full ensemble or at least 50% of its musicians. A duo must submit a work with both partners.  
• The sample should demonstrate the ensemble’s performance level and be representative of the ensemble’s performance within the last two years.   
• Soloistic works are not recommended. 
• Samples do not need to be of studio quality but should be clear. 
• Only mp3 and/or m4a file types are accepted.  

CMA collects data on race and ethnicity in connection to grant programs and applications; membership; and surveys with partner organizations, like funding partners. As such, CMA has developed a set of standards for keeping, collecting, and presenting data on race and ethnicity that aim to provide consistency in collecting and using this type of data.

These standards have been developed in accordance with data collection standards by other groups such as CMA’s funders, federal agencies, and agencies that track race and ethnicity data like the U.S. Census Bureau. 

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