Chamber Music America Awards Over $100,000 to Support Emerging Ensembles 

For Immediate Release
Contact: Nichole L. Knight, nknight@chambermusicamerica.org 

New York, NY—Chamber Music America (CMA), the national network for ensemble music professionals, today announced the distribution of $107,500 through its 2022 Ensemble Forward program supported by the New York Community Trust. This funding will provide key support for coaching sessions and a newly introduced recording initiative to help artists at a pivotal point in their careers.

Since 2019, CMA’s Ensemble Forward program has supported emerging New York City-based ensembles that perform Western European classical and contemporary music through a key ensemble coaching component. Each grantee ensemble works with a coach of its choosing to develop its distinctive sound. This year, CMA has also added a pilot cohort of recording grantees who will partner with a professional producer to learn valuable skills in the studio recording process while creating a high-quality demo that can be used for booking, marketing, and applying to future funding opportunities.

Six grants totaling $39,000 have been awarded to coaching grantees while $52,000 has been awarded to eight recording grantees. An additional $16,500 supports the recording projects’ in-studio production. The program’s professional development and networking opportunities will help the ensembles build their careers and enlarge their professional circles. All grantee ensembles are based in New York City.

“I am thrilled by the support we are able to offer these young artists,” said Kevin Kwan Loucks, CMA’s chief executive officer. “The pandemic has been particularly hard for this cohort who are just starting their careers. We are grateful to the New York Community Trust’s support for helping these grantees pivot and develop rewarding sustainable careers.”

The 2022 Ensemble Forward Grantees are:

Chamber Music America, the national network of ensemble music professionals, was founded in 1977 to develop, strengthen, and support the chamber music community. With a membership including musicians, ensembles, presenters, artists’ managers, educators, music businesses, and advocates of ensemble music, CMA welcomes members representing a wide range of musical styles and traditions. In addition to its funding programs, CMA provides its members with consulting services, access to instrument and other insurances, conferences, seminars, and several publications including Chamber Music magazine and the weekly e-newsletter, Accent.