Artistic Projects offers grant opportunities for small chamber music ensembles and presenters with operating budgets under $250,000, to carry out their creative projects and present them to audiences in the five boroughs of New York City.
Donor Name: Chamber Music America
State: New York
City: Selected Cities
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/25/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The grant supports chamber music projects that may include performances, recordings, or new compositions (commissions). If the proposed project is a collaboration involving other artistic disciplines or genres, it must also be a stand-alone chamber music work.
Funding Priorities
Chamber Music America gives priority to projects that fall within one of the project categories and demonstrate community impact. Community impact:
- Creates more access to chamber music
- Fosters a sense of respect and appreciation for chamber music.
- Creates opportunities for ensembles and presenters to engage with current and new audiences.
Examples of community impact can include:
- Advancing or highlighting cultural richness and creativity of a community.
- Fostering collaboration between ensembles, presenters, or other organizations and the communities they serve.
- Engaging with audiences in meaningful dialogue around historical or current social and cultural issues.
- Making project content (such as recordings or videos) available to audiences beyond the grant period.
Types of Projects Funded
- Commission
- Creation of a new work by one composer for the applicant ensemble (Composer may be a member of the ensemble)
- Public Performance
- Recording
- Creation and release of a new recording
Funding Information
Grants will range from $7,500 to $20,000.
Grant Period
January 1, 2026-December 31, 2026.
Eligible Expenses
The following expenses are allowed, provided they are directly related to the project.
- Ensemble and guest artist fees (for musician participants only)
- Ground transportation and cartage fees for ensemble members, guest artists, and instruments
- Concert or streaming production expenses
- Recording studio and sound engineer fees
- Equipment rental
- Rehearsal and performance space rental
- Marketing and advertising specific to the project
Eligibility Criteria
Applications may be submitted by ensembles or presenting organizations based in one of the five boroughs of New York City.
An Ensemble
- Must have at least one member who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident based in one of the five boroughs of New York City and must be listed as primary contact for the application
- Must consist of 2-10 professional musicians including guest musicians
- student groups are not eligible
- soloists with accompanists are not eligible
- May perform any style of small ensemble music encompassing contemporary and traditional jazz, classical, and world genres
- Must work with a U.S.-based composer if applying for composer funding. (If awarded, composers working with Ensemble grantees must provide proof of U.S residency status or permanent green card status.)
- Must have an annual operating budget under $250,000
- Must not have any outstanding financial obligations to CMA
- Cannot be a current grantee of the Howard Gilman Foundation
A Presenter
- Must be a 501(c)(3) organization or otherwise eligible for charitable contributions for federal income, estate, and gift-tax purposes
- Must present one ensemble
- May present any style of small ensemble music encompassing contemporary and traditional jazz, classical, and world genres
- Must work with a U.S.-based composer if applying for composer funding. (If awarded, composers working with ensemble grantees must provide proof of U.S residency status or permanent green card status.)
- Must have an annual operating budget under $250,000
- Must apply with an ensemble whose annual budget is also under $250,000 and based in one of the five boroughs of New York City
- The ensemble must consist of 2-10 musicians including guest musicians
- The ensemble may only appear on one presenter’s application
- Must not have any outstanding financial obligations to CMA
- Cannot be a current grantee of the Howard Gilman Foundation
For more information, visit CMA.
