Early Music America offers awards of up to $2,500 annually to support engagement projects for children and/or adults by organizations, ensembles, and individual artists. The awards are intended to promote awareness and appreciation of early music and historical performance with the goal of drawing new audiences and participants.
Seed Grants: If an organization has a new engagement program and has no prior engagement experience, the judges may choose to award a “seed grant” rather than an Engagement Award. If, during the year covered by the seed grant, the organization implements its program successfully, application for a full or partial engagement ‘implementation’ award may be made the following year. However, depending on the strength of other applications that year, there is no guarantee that such an award will be given.
Engagement includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Early-music activities that focus on children, in or out of school.
- Early-music activities in public and private schools.
- Lifelong learning courses on early music.
- Web, video, podcast, or other creative activities that advance public awareness and enjoyment of early music.
- Early-music activities that reach underserved audiences and populations and historically underfunded racial or ethnic identity groups, especially African-American, Asian-American, Latinx, and Indigenous communities.
2025 Recipients
Academía Libre en Especialización Musical, Mexico City, Mexico
To support the “Early Music Certificate Program” which allows musicians of any level to get acquainted with early music instruments and gain knowledge of early music basic theories and practices, including individual lessons with experienced teachers and group lessons on topics such as early musical sources and paleography, improvisation and ornamentation, solmization and chant, or basso continuo.
Academia de Música Antigua de Medellín, Medellín, Colombia (seed grant)
To support the first Latin American Conference of Baroque Violin-Making which seeks to bridge the gap between historical instrument craftsmanship and Historically Informed Performance in the region. This two-week event will bring together violin makers from Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and other Latin American lands for an intensive program of workshops, lectures, and hands-on training in baroque violin construction.
Ars Lyrica Houston, Houston, Texas
To support Orígenes: Voice and Percussion through the Ages, a bilingual program curated by Mexican-born mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte and Spanish-born percussionist Jesús Pacheco. The program explores the development of voice and percussion instruments through the ages with a focus on Spanish and Latin American cultures. Students learn how these instruments were used for communication, accompanying people through the everyday human experience: from festive celebrations to poignant moments of sorrow and drama.
Bach Collegium San Diego, San Diego, CA
To support Bach to Bop, a new education program that teaches elementary students about the music styles of baroque and jazz. Students learn about rhythm, melody, harmony, form, bass line, scatting, story-telling, ornamentation, and improvisation. Students are engaged in an interactive class format, including call and response, creating their own rhythms in the styles, and even improvising over an ostinato bassline.
Fundación Cultural Villanueva, La Serena, Chile
To support a visit by plucked strings specialist Eduardo Eguez, including educational activities in early music: the first one directed at children who are members of the OEMA, Orquesta Escolar de Música Antigua, and the second, an evening masterclass open for musicians of all ages. Additionally, an educational concert on early music will be held for the community of the public school Pedro Aguirre Cerda along with a main concert at the Santa Inés Cultural Center. All activities will be free and open to the community.
Pendulum Early Music, Boise, Idaho (seed grant)
To support a partnership with the Boise School District and conduct a seven day in-class baroque workshop for Boise High School’s chamber orchestra. Over the course of the seven-day workshop, students will form small ensembles to prepare repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries. The workshop will conclude with a with a public performance in downtown Boise.
Sarasa Chamber Music Ensemble, Cambridge, Massachusetts
To support “Immersing incarcerated youth and our local community in the music of @1775: Boston, London, Paris & Vienna.” As part of the semi-quincentennial celebration of the Battles of Lexington and Concord (“Lex250”) taking place in Eastern Massachusetts in 2025, Sarasa will present chamber music which highlights works performed around the time of the American Revolution. Sarasa will bring this music to incarcerated teenagers at Metro-Boston facilities as part of our ‘Music Unlocked’ program with presentations at Dorchester Youth Services facilities.
