The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation Announces Over $1.8M in support of Pre-College Musical Training Programs
In partnership with Equity Arc, a national association of organizations dedicated to the advancement of underrepresented musicians in classical music, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation is pleased to announce multi-year support totaling $1,865,000 to eight organizations of Equity Arc’s National Collective for Musical Pathways.
The National Collective for Musical Pathways is an alliance of rigorous pre-college music training programs that provide opportunities to, remove barriers from, and accelerate progress of underrepresented musicians seeking admission into the country’s most prestigious collegiate institutions. Initially championed by Susan Feder, former Program Officer of Arts and Culture at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the growth of pre-college pathways programs across the United States accelerated with the support of the Mellon Foundation over the past decade.
“Equity Arc is thrilled to share this grant award on behalf of our pathways partners. The intensive, holistic training that the Collective provides to our aspiring professional musicians prepares them to have their voices heard on professional stages. We are grateful to the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation for their continued commitment of support to these eight deserving initiatives. As our member organizations seek to address the structural inequities in classical music, we are moving closer to removing barriers that prevent talented musicians of color from receiving the early mentorship needed in their pre-college training.”
“We are proud to support the tremendous work of these eight wonderful Pathways programs as they find post-pandemic stability and move boldly into the future. Nurtured by faculty and staff each week, the programs’ talented young artists are consistently matriculating into top American music programs. Their energy drives the bright future for a strong, vibrant American music scene – enriched with talent from and for all of her neighborhoods and families.”
National Collective for Musical Pathways Grantees (in alphabetical order by host organization):
- Talent Development Program (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra – Atlanta, GA)
- Musical Pathways Fellowship (Cleveland Institute of Music – Cleveland, OH)
- Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative (Merit School of Music – Chicago, IL)
- Cali Pathways Project (Montclair State University – Montclair, NJ)
- Accelerando (Nashville Symphony – Nashville, TN)
- Baltimore Musical Pathways Initiative (Peabody Preparatory – Baltimore, MD)
- Primavera Fund (Philadelphia, PA)
- PMAY Artists’ Initiative (Settlement Music School – Philadelphia, PA)
About Paul M. Angell Family Foundation
The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation honors the ideals of Paul M. Angell by endowing organizations and activities that are emblematic of his character and sensitive to his concerns in the certain knowledge that change for the better in society is best gained through the constructive involvement of its individual citizens. With a mission to advance society through the performing arts, conservation of the world’s oceans, and alleviation of poverty, the Foundation makes grants in those priority areas while embodying the legacy of Paul M. Angell’s compassion, ingenuity, and industriousness. Since its establishment in 2011, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation has provided support for the presentation, perpetuation, and propagation of the performing arts, funding professional performers, presenters, and educators. The Foundation supports major organizations and newer initiatives, enabling the development of impactful programs that benefit our communities and serving as an important partner in national efforts that bring the intensity of arts and culture to life.
About Equity Arc
Equity Arc (formerly the National Instrumentalist Mentoring and Advancement Network) is a national coalition of musical organizations and advocates whose mission and programming address the structural inequities in classical music that result in the field’s systemic lack of racial and ethnic diversity. Equity Arc creates and works with a robust network of passionate, experienced members from across the country and across the arc of musical development along two paths: Building a comprehensive arc of support and mentorship for instrumentalists to navigate the journey from student to professional and assisting in breaking down barriers to achieving success in the field. Equity Arc also provides forums, resources, and training for member organizations to dismantle the structural inequities, biases, and systemic racism ingrained in their policies and practices that inhibit the creation of equitable opportunities and environments for classical musicians of color.
Contact media@equityarc.org for more information and media inquiries.
