Amphion Grant Program

Please note: All deadlines for the Amphion Grant Program are in Eastern Time. The deadline for the 2025 Spring Cycle is February 27, 2025 at 11:59 pm ET.

The Program’s Objective

To encourage the performance of contemporary concert music, particularly by American composers, through support to performing and presenting organizations that have demonstrated sustained artistic excellence, in addition to service organizations.

All applicants must meet the following requirements:

• 501(c)(3) non-profit status (or foreign equivalent), or fiscal sponsorship
• Two or more years of performance or program history as an organization

Application Snapshot

• Eligibility
• Definitions
• How to Apply
• Funding Provisions
• Review Procedures
• Application Cycles and Deadlines
• Questions?

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

Eligible applicants must:

1. Be a publicly supported non-profit or fiscally sponsored organization with a history of substantial commitment to contemporary concert music (music written within the last 50 years);
2. Have a minimum of two years of performance or, for groups other than performing groups, programmatic activity prior to the time of application (except for special projects of extraordinary significance: please contact the Grants Manager for approval); and
3. Have an operating budget of $10 million or less.
   1. Organizations with budgets over $10 million may be eligible to apply for project support with advance approval from the Foundation. Please contact the Grants Manager for more information.

General Operating Support is available for organizations with a history of substantial commitment to contemporary American concert music and with plans to continue that commitment.

Project Support is also available for exceptionally important activities relating to contemporary concert music that are out of the scope of an organization’s regular programming, and often (but not necessarily) a discrete initiative.

Please note that organizations based outside of the United States and its territories may apply for support exclusively for contemporary concert music by American composers.

What is eligible?

The Amphion Foundation provides funding to performing and presenting organizations and various music service organizations for the performance and dissemination of contemporary concert music.

Funding is available for eligible activity occurring between September of the current year and August of the following year. The period for the current cycle is September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026.

The following activities will be considered eligible in the Spring cycle:

• Performances by organizations (see eligible performing organization types above)
• Presentation of performances (see definitions below)

The following activities will be considered eligible in the Fall cycle:

• Professional development programs
• Presenting concerts/festivals (see Definitions for presenters and festivals; performing ensembles must apply in the Spring cycle for performance-related activity)
• Artist residency programs
• Archival activity

For any other contemporary concert music-related activity, please contact the Grants Manager to obtain approval.

What is not eligible?

The Amphion Foundation does not provide funding for the following:

• Applications from individuals
• Unincorporated or for-profit organizations except via a fiscal sponsor
• Endowment funds
• Music publishing projects
• Student ensembles
• Volunteer, community, or amateur ensembles
• Volunteer, community, or amateur choirs
• Educational institutions*
• Composer commissioning fees and/or honoraria**
• Composition competitions (except as part of a larger program of support for composers)
• Programming outside the field of contemporary concert music; this includes commercial, pop, jazz, Broadway-style musical theater, sacred, holiday, and traditional concert band music.

*Educational institutions and organizations (like schools and universities) may not apply for activities involving school-aged students, student ensembles, or credit-bearing university activities; however, such organizations may apply for performances or other eligible projects that present professional musicians to the public, such as faculty ensembles and concert series.

While the Foundation does not provide funding for programs presented by or for school-aged students, youth choruses that perform contemporary concert music specifically composed for children’s voices may be considered (please inquire with the Grants Manager).

Professional training and development programs are eligible to apply for funding in the Fall cycle. The scope of this support is reserved for non-performance related activities.

**Organizations that are part of a commissioning consortium and wish to apply for support for the performance of the commissioned work should contact the Grants Manager for further information.

If you have questions about your organization’s eligibility, please contact the Grants Manager.

Definitions

Contemporary:
For the Foundation’s purposes, concert music composed within the last 50 years is considered contemporary. Projects featuring particularly significant concert music composed since 1945, as well as the works of Elliott Carter* from any period, will be considered on a case-by-case basis; please contact the Grants Manager for more information.

*For funding for a significant project involving the performance or recording of less frequently performed or recorded works by Elliott Carter, please review the guidelines for the Elliott Carter Special Grant Program to see if your project is eligible.

Concert Music:
For the Foundation’s purposes, concert music includes opera, orchestral and chamber music for instrumental and/or vocal ensembles, as well as concert music in experimental genres and similar formats. Popular music, including commercial, pop, jazz, Broadway-style musical theater, sacred, holiday, and traditional concert band music, is not fundable.

Performing Organizations:
Performing groups such as orchestras, opera companies and chamber music groups with a consistent core membership, as well as ‘flexible’ ensembles with consistent artistic leadership and identity, are considered performing organizations. Dance companies are also eligible to apply for projects that involve live performances of contemporary American music.

Music Service/Advocacy Organization:
Organizations that support composers and performers through grants, residencies, training programs or similar activities, or aid in the preservation and dissemination of contemporary concert music.

Presenters:
Music venues or similar organizations whose principal activity is to present live musical performances by a variety of performing groups throughout the year. 

Festivals:
Organizations whose principal activity is to present live musical performances by a variety of performing groups for a discrete period.

Project (as it relates to Project Support):
The Foundation considers a "project" to be an exceptionally important activity or set of activities relating to contemporary concert music outside the scope of an organization’s regular programming, and often (but not necessarily) a discrete initiative. 

Music by American composers:
Music by composers with U.S. citizenship, wherever they may live, as well as non-citizen composers who have lived and worked in the U.S. for a significant period.

How to Apply

If your organization does not already have an account on our site:

You will need to submit an account request. Staff will assess your organization’s eligibility and may reach out via email with eligibility questions. Only organizations that are considered eligible for the grant program will receive account approval. 

Please allow 3-5 business days for account approval. The last day to submit an account request for the 2025 Spring cycle will be Friday, February 21, 2025.

If you do not know whether your organization already has an account, or have an account but do not have access to login credentials, please contact the Grants Manager.

If your organization already has an account on our site:

Log in here. Then click on the Apply Now button at the top of this page to begin the online application process.

Please note: It is not necessary to complete the application in one session, but the application must be saved at the end of every session and should be saved at least once during each session to avoid lost work.

Applicants must prepare and submit the following materials:

Organization Information

• Contact information
• A copy of the IRS determination letter confirming tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that the applicant is not a private foundation.
  • For organizations applying with a fiscal sponsor, proof of fiscal sponsorship should be supplied in lieu of the IRS determination letter and the legal name and federal tax ID of the fiscal sponsor should be provided in the appropriate fields.
  • If the applicant organization is not based in the United States, submit a letter from a lawyer in the home jurisdiction of the applicant confirming its equivalence to a publicly funded U.S. 501(c)(3) organization.
• 3-year financial snapshot including the prior fiscal year, current fiscal year, and projected forthcoming year.

Application Information

• Select Type of Organization from the drop-down menu (see "Definitions” section for more information.)
  • Please note: For the Fall cycle, any organization whose activities include musical performances must apply as a Presenter and submit appropriate media samples. Applications from organizations whose activities include musical performances cannot be evaluated without media samples.
• For applicants in the Spring cycle: Select Type of Ensemble from the drop-down menu.
• Mission Statement of the Organization. (750 characters maximum)
• For applicants applying for support for live performances: the number of events projected (including online-only performances) for the support year and the two years prior.

Proposal

• Time Period for which Support is Requested (if General Operating Support is requested, please indicate support period as “2025-2026 season”)
• Request Type: Select whether applying for General Operating or Project Support.
• Requested Amount: Amount of funding requested. See "Funding Provisions" below for typical award amounts.
• Brief Summary of Proposal: Briefly describe the activity or project for which support is requested. (750 characters maximum)
• For Project Support applicants:
  • Total Cost of Project
  • Project Description: A brief, yet detailed, description of the project such as information about the performers, repertoire, venue(s), timeframe, and audiences served. If the project includes a visual element, please list directors, choreographers, and other key production staff. For non-concert projects, applicants should supply details about the personnel and participants involved, timeframe for completion, and end goal of a proposed project. (3750 characters maximum) 
  • Project Budget: A detailed project budget that includes revenue and expense detail, including projected funding sources. Please note which elements of funding have been secured at the time of applying.
• Proposal Narrative: Specific details, repertoire, and the nature of activity for which support is requested. Project Support applicants should also include a brief summary of intended repertoire or other related activities for the support season, particularly regarding contemporary concert music. (5000 characters maximum)
• History of the Organization: Please provide a very brief timeline of your organization's activities since its founding. Bullet points or similar formatting are preferred. (1500 characters maximum)
• Information about Principal Artistic Personnel: Please provide a list of the current artistic decisionmaker(s) with links to their professional biographies. (2500 characters maximum)
• Audiences: Description of the constituencies or audiences served, including size, demographics, and geographic regions.  (2500 characters maximum)
• Grantee summary of activity for the immediate prior grant round (only required for applicants who previously received funding from the Foundation): Please provide a brief description of the applicant’s activities during the past two years, and proposed activities for the upcoming season. (2500 characters maximum)
• Miscellaneous remarks: Please include only information that is relevant to the current application that was not provided elsewhere in the application. (2500 characters maximum)

Musical and Media Materials

Please note: Musical and Media Materials are required for all applicants whose activities include musical performances. Please be sure to select “Presenter” as your organization type in the Applicant Information section if your organization’s activities include musical performances and provide the necessary materials. 

• For all Applicants submitting audio files, submit three 3–5-minute audio samples in MP3 format that accurately represent the programming for the funding period (submit excerpts of larger works when necessary). These samples should be:
  • Recordings of representative live performances (not studio recordings) of the core ensemble playing together. Extended soloistic passages are not recommended. 
    • Presenters and Festivals should provide recordings of the ensembles and performers programmed during the requested funding period.
    • Recordings should be from within the previous three performing seasons.  
  • If project support is being requested for the work of one or more composers, the applicant is strongly encouraged to include a representative recording of that composer(s) work, even if the recording features performers other than the Applicant’s core ensemble. If no such recording is available, please explain in the Miscellaneous Remarks.
• If a visual element is essential to the presentation of the music, the Foundation strongly recommends submitting video samples of the performers, company, and creative team, in addition to the required audio samples. Video samples should involve live performance of contemporary concert music; promotional trailers and news clips with substantial spoken commentary should not be submitted, unless there is no alternative (please indicate timing of musical content in this case).
  • Please do not include video material that does not feature an essential extra-musical visual element (i.e. videos of standard concert music presentations).
  • The Foundation recognizes that there may be legal or contractual restrictions that could prohibit an applicant from sharing video work samples; if so, please state in the Miscellaneous Remarks.
• For each recording and/or video submitted, provide the title of the work, names of the composer and performer(s), and date of the performance.
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a score for one of the three works from the submitted audio samples in PDF format, marked at the point at which the audio sample begins. If this presents serious difficulties, please state in the Miscellaneous Remarks. (The Foundation does not accept physical scores.)
  • Traditionally notated scores are not required; the Foundation accepts a variety of musical scores, including graphic and text scores.

Please note: work samples should represent a range of repertoire and instrumentation. If available work samples do not strictly meet the requirements set out in these guidelines, please contact the Grants Manager for advice. Staff is prohibited from influencing applications in any way and therefore cannot provide qualitative commentary.

Supporting Materials

• Performances and repertoire: A list of all projected performances and repertoire, including dates and specific performers when relevant, for the support season, and two years prior (i.e., three consecutive years of programming, including the support season). Please do not submit this list in the form of season brochures.
  • A sample performances and repertoire document illustrating the desired level of detail can be found here.
  • A fillable pdf template can be downloaded here.
  • Large-scale organizations with a multitude of interdisciplinary presentations each year may provide only relevant performance information in this document with a link to complete programming.
• Foundation, corporate, and government support: A list with award amounts of foundation, corporate, and government support for the support season, and two years prior (i.e., three years of support information including the support season). Applicants must differentiate between secured and prospective funding. Please include reasonable funding projections to the extent necessary.
• Board of Directors: A list of members of the Board of Directors (or equivalent governing body) and their principal professional affiliations.
• Organizational budgets: A completed budget template (found here) for three consecutive years of organizational budgets. This must be provided even if an audited financial statement is submitted. Applicants unable to provide this level of financial detail should contact the Grants Manager.
• Financial Statements: The most recent audited financial statement, if available. (We recognize that not every applicant will have an audited financial statement, but, if one is available for any of the past three fiscal years, the latest one must be submitted.)

Funding Provisions

Applicants should be aware that support in one year does not imply continuation of that support in subsequent years. In general, grants will range between $1,500 and $7,500, although larger grants may be awarded to larger performing organizations with an extraordinary commitment to contemporary concert music or a particularly significant project. The Foundation does not award grants larger than the amount requested by the Applicant.

Review Procedures

The following criteria will be applied in evaluating grant proposals:

• Are the performances, recordings, and programmed repertoire of outstanding artistic quality?
• For general operating support applicants: Has the applicant demonstrated a consistent or increasing commitment to high-quality performances of contemporary concert music?
• Has the applicant demonstrated the financial ability to carry a season or project to completion?
• Will granting the request promote the performance and dissemination of contemporary concert music?
• Has the applicant demonstrated a financial need, and will the Foundation’s funds be of significant help in meeting that need?
• Has the applicant demonstrated that their activities enrich their community’s appreciation of and access to contemporary concert music, particularly as it applies to underserved and marginalized communities?

Application Cycles and Deadlines

The deadline for the 2025 Spring cycle of the Amphion Foundation Grant Program is

Reminder: the last day to submit account requests for the 2025 Spring cycle will be Friday, February 21, 2025.

The deadlines for applications for each calendar year are scheduled as follows:

• The Spring grant cycle has an annual deadline at the end of February.
• The Fall grant cycle has an annual deadline in mid-September.

Award notifications are distributed in or around July for the Spring cycle and January for the Fall cycle. Please do not contact the Foundation for information on funding decisions.

IMPORTANT: You are responsible for complying with all legal and contractual requirements that may apply to the creation of your materials. The Amphion Foundation hereby disclaims all legal responsibility in connection with your submissions. In case of questions, consult your legal advisor.

Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") Policy

Questions?

Prospective applicants are first encouraged to read the Frequently Asked Questions. If your question is not answered there, please contact the Grants Manager prior to the time of application.

Telephone: 212-461-6956 (Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET)
E-mail: grantsmanager@amphionfoundation.org

Updated: December 17, 2024

See lists of grantees from previous rounds