Thea Musgrave Performance Fund

For the 2026 cycle, the Thea Musgrave Performance Fund will specifically support ensembles for the following: 

• Performing at least one work by Musgrave on their concert program 
• An audience engagement component (e.g. pre- or post-performance talkback, panel, or education session) highlighting Musgrave’s biography, artistic influences, cultural and historical contexts of her work, and/or her continuing impact on contemporary composition 

Thea Musgrave’s catalogue of chamber works can be found at this link. 

Applications are due to Chamber Music America by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Award notifications are made in early July. 

All Thea Musgrave Performance Fund grant projects must take place between July 1, 2026, and December 31, 2027.   

Grants range from $1,000 to $5,000. The program will fund 100% of eligible expenses within the grant range. No matching funds are required.

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.  

Chamber Music America gives priority to projects that follow grant guidelines for the Thea Musgrave Performance Fund and:  

• Creates more access to chamber music    
• Fosters a sense of respect and appreciation for chamber music.   
• Creates opportunities for ensembles and/or presenters to engage with current and new audiences.  

All applicants must: 

• Be a CMA member at the Organization level; 
• Have no overdue reports or financial obligations to CMA; 
• Agree to acknowledge the Thea Musgrave Performance Fund and CMA in all programs and press materials. 

Ensembles
An ensemble is eligible if it: 

• Is based in the U.S. or its territories (the leader/primary member is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident) 
• Primarily performs Western European and/or non-Western classical and contemporary music 
• Consists of 2-10 musicians, either as a fixed roster, or a flexible collective (duos must perform as equal partners and publicize themselves as a duo) 

Eligible Expenses:
Funds can be used for: 

• rehearsal and performance costs
• audience engagement activities
• and an optional recording or streaming component

Ineligible requests:
Ensembles whose primary presentations or performances are: 

• opera 
• chorus 
• orchestra 
• solo recitals 
• music for dramatic works (staged or un-staged) 
• incidental music for other media (such as dance or video/film) 

Please note: works for soloist, solo musician and tape or electronics, and ensembles larger than 10 musicians are not eligible. 

Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of chamber music professionals versed in current compositional trends and performance practices. Neither CMA staff nor Board members participate in the selection process.

The panel will review and score: 

Written Narrative Review- 50% 

• Project description, timeline, prior record of achievement, intended impact, and audience reach.  
• Details can include: 
  • applicant’s alignment with the vision and goals of the Thea Musgrave Performance Fund grant program  
  • the impact a Thea Musgrave Performance Fund grant would have on the applicant’s ability to carry out their performance of music by Thea Musgrave 
  • the ensemble’s planned audience impact and building appreciation of Musgrave’s work  

Work Sample Review- 25%  

• Artist statement and two audio samples demonstrating technical skill and musical cohesion. 

Budget Review – 25%  

• Demonstrates understanding of appropriate industry rates and sound financial planning.  
• Clarity on covering additional expenses if the total budget exceeds CMA funding. 

If awarded, the member of the ensemble serving as the primary contact is responsible for:  

• Serving as the ensemble’s primary point of contact with CMA  
• Providing government issued documentation as proof of their U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status (or 501c3 status, if eligible);  
• Receiving and managing the grant funds  
• Filing reports and associated documents  

Grant funds will be disbursed as follows:   

• 100% of the award to be disbursed after signing the CMA grant agreement and provided all necessary paperwork for payment 

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.   

Grantees may not receive funds through a fiscal sponsor. 

CMA uses the online application platform Submittable. Go to 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 as backup, then copy/paste your information into the online application. CMA recommends that you save your draft in an offline document as backup.   
• 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.   
• The application will close promptly at 11:59 PM ET on Thursday, April 16, 2026. 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.   

Audio Uploads   

• Two ensemble audio samples are required and must be uploaded to the online application.   
• Samples should be up to 4 minutes each and feature works for small ensemble (2-10 musicians).   
• Samples should demonstrate the ensemble’s performance level and must feature either the full ensemble or at least 50% of its musicians. * Include contrasting works, if possible.    
• Soloistic works are not recommended.   
• *A duo must submit works with both partners. *   
• Only mp3 and/or m4a file types are accepted.    
• Samples do not need to be of studio quality but should be clear and representative of the ensemble’s performance within the last two years.     

Budget Upload  

• Budget Template 

Photo Upload:
Upload 3 photos for use in CMA press release materials in the event that the applicant is awarded & label photos in the following format:  

• 1_AwardeeName_credit_PhotographerName (Please make sure that the photos provided have been cleared for public use by your photographer before submission.)  
• 2_AwardeeName_credit_PhotographerName (Please make sure that the photos provided have been cleared for public use by your photographer before submission.)  
• 3_AwardeeName_credit_PhotographerName (Please make sure that the photos provided have been cleared for public use by your photographer before submission.)  

If awarded, the bandleader must serve as the primary contact for the grant.   

They will be responsible for:  

• serving as the grant contact for CMA; 
• providing government issued documentation as proof of their U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status; 
• receiving and managing the grant funds; 
• maintaining CMA membership through the entire grant period. 
• filing any reports to CMA (reports must be submitted for grantees to remain in good standing with CMA). 

Grant funds will be disbursed as follows: 

• The full grant payment will be disbursed after the signing of the CMA grant contract with the inclusion of required materials (grantee intake information: proof of residency, bank information, etc.). 

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. 

Grantees are expected to fulfill all parts of their project. Failure to fulfill all parts of the project can result in consequences or loss of future ability to apply for CMA funding. Details will be included in agreements to grantees. 

• Go to cma.submittable.com and click on “Thea Musgrave Performance Fund.”   
• Complete all required fields, including text boxes, the Funding Request, and Audio Sample information.    
• Prepare and upload your budget, audio samples, and photos. 
• Save audio files as: Ensemble Name-Audio 1 and Ensemble Name-Audio 2; acceptable file types: mp3, m4a.    
• When complete, sign and date your application then click “Submit” to send application to CMA; you will receive a confirmation email. Applications cannot be edited after submission

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 such as the U.S. Census Bureau.  

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