Amphion Grant Program

The current grant cycle is for music service organizations, presenters, and festivals only.

The Amphion Foundation defines music service organizations, presenters, and festivals as follows:

• Music service 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 and festivals: music festivals, music venues, and any other organization whose principal activity is to present live musical performances by a variety of performing groups.

Please read the guidelines carefully.

Application snapshot

• Eligibility
• Eligible activity
• Funding provisions
• Criteria
• How to apply
• Application cycle and deadline

Eligibility

Applications may be submitted by publicly supported non-profit or fiscally-sponsored organizations that have a history of substantial commitment to contemporary concert music at a high level of excellence. Organizations must have been in existence for at least two years at the time of application. Applicant organizations that are applying for support for performances must have presented two full seasons prior to the season for which support is requested, except for special projects of extraordinary significance. Applicants with fewer than two full past seasons must contact the Grants Manager for approval prior to beginning an application. Applications from organizations with a budget of over $10 million will be considered only for project support and the Grants Manager should be contacted for approval prior to beginning an application.

Please note that, in general, the grant program does not support jazz music.

Eligible activity

Please note: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation will accept proposals for the following in addition to regular in-person activities:

• Socially distanced and other safe methods of live performance
• Virtual and web performances, including live and recorded streaming

The Foundation does not accept proposals for:

• Commissions to composers  
• Endowment funding
• Audio or audio-visual recordings (other than those allowed above due to the pandemic)
• Music publishing projects
• Projects that are part of the curriculum of an educational institution
• Composition competitions except as part of a larger program of support for composers

Support generally will be given only for activities that begin in the current season. Thus, for the 2022 grant round, support generally will only be given to projects and activities that begin between September 2022 and August 2023. The Foundation will only consider activities that fall outside of the normal period of support under extraordinary circumstances. Please contact the Grants Manager for further information.

Note that orchestra and opera festivals and presenters, other than contemporary concert music specialists, may apply only for Project Support.

For prospective Project Support applicants: An eligible project is a clearly defined endeavor that may include one or more live and/or virtual performances of contemporary concert music* and, often, other activities related to the performance(s) that improve the public’s knowledge and appreciation of such music. An aggregated list of contemporary& concert music activities spread intermittently over the course of a season would not be eligible for Project Support, but could be considered for General Operating Support if a multi-year history of substantial commitment to contemporary concert music as an integral part of the applicant’s activities is demonstrated.

*Please note that the term “contemporary concert music” (which includes opera and all other forms of such music) is intended only to distinguish such music from contemporary popular music, which is not fundable.

Funding provisions

Applicants should be aware that support in one year does not imply continuation of that support. In general, grants will range between $1,000 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. Organizations who are members of a commissioning consortium and who are requesting support for the performance of the commissioned work should contact the Grants Manager for further advice prior to beginning an application.

Criteria

The following criteria will be applied in evaluating grant proposals:

• History of high-quality performances of, or otherwise substantially fostering the public knowledge and appreciation of, contemporary concert music
• The significant contributions the organization has made to the field of contemporary concert music in the past and those it is likely to make in the future
• The responsibility and effectiveness of management
• Special for 2021-present grant programs: ongoing activity in the absence of public concerts due to COVID-19 or the reasons why such activity could not be undertaken.

New for 2022: The Amphion Foundation encourages programming that whenever possible celebrates a broad spectrum of diverse creators and strives to reflect the communities served by the organization.

How to apply

First, log in to the website and proceed to the program page.

Click the “Apply Now” button to begin the online application process. The proposal may be completed in stages but must be saved often to avoid lost work. It is not necessary to complete the application in one session.

Please note that all applicant information should be entered directly into the online application except where links to external data are specifically permitted.

A complete application will include the following information:

Organization Information

• Basic contact and legal information, which should be added or updated on the applicant's account:
  • Contact information, including primary contact name, current e-mail address, phone number, and mailing address.
  • 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. If the applicant organization is not based in the United States, submit a letter from a local lawyer confirming its equivalence to a publicly funded 501(c)(3) organization.
  • Federal tax ID number
  • 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.
• Three-year financial snapshot including FY21, FY22, which the Foundation recognizes may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and FY23 projected.

Applicant Information

• Type of organization (Note: Festival applicants should select the "Presenter" option from the drop-down list)
• Mission of the organization
• If the applicant is a music festival or presenter, or is applying for support for performances, the number of concerts projected in the season (including online) for which support is being requested and the two years prior. (The review panel will take into account that in most of 2020 and the first part of 2021 there may have been few or no live performances.)

Proposal

• State the specific time period for which support is requested. If General Operating Support is being requested, please indicate support period as "2022-2023 season."
• Indicate the amount and type of support (General Operating or Project Support) requested, and purpose of the request.
• Depending on the type of support requested, the General Operating or Project Support description should include specific details, repertoire, and the nature of activity for which support is being requested. Project Support applicants should also include a brief summary of intended repertoire or other related activities for the 2022-23 concert season, particularly regarding contemporary concert music. Special for the 2022 grant cycle: If the applicant organization was able to maintain some public-facing activities during the period that public concerts were not possible due to COVID-19, a description of such activities specifically related to contemporary concert music, including online activities, streaming, web presence efforts to maintain or grow audience, and/or ways the organization has adapted, should be included. (5,000 characters or less)
• If Project Support is requested, the following must also be supplied: a project budget, a breakdown of the project costs, and an itemized list of other sources of income for the project. The list of other sources of income should include the amount from each source and whether it is secured or prospective funding.
• History of the organization listing all of the activities in which it has been engaged during the past two years and the activities in which it proposes to engage during the season for which support is being requested. Special for the 2022 grant cycle: A description of any actual or potential changes in organization board and/or administrative team and/or ensemble personnel since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Any specific fundraising or budgetary challenges resulting from the pandemic may also be addressed in this section. (5,000 characters or less)
• Description of the constituencies or audiences that are served, including size, age groups, and geographic regions. Links to relevant online data maybe be included in this section.

Musical and Media Materials 

Note: Musical and Media Materials are required for presenter organization types only.

• For applicants in which the visual element is important to the presentation of the music, video work samples of the performers, company, any choreographer and the project’s director are very helpful in assessing a proposal. However, the Foundation recognizes that there may be legal or contractual restrictions that prevent an applicant from furnishing video work samples. If an applicant of this type is unable to furnish a video due to legal or contractual obligations, please so state in the proposal. Video samples should involve live performances of contemporary concert music. Promotional or news clip videos which include substantial amounts of spoken commentary should not be submitted unless there is no alternative video available, and this should be indicated. In such cases, the applicant should also indicate the timing of the substantial musical content included in the video.
• For all other festival and presenter applicants, please submit mp3 recordings of three contemporary concert compositions performed by the ensemble(s) to be presented in the 2022-23 season and recorded within the three performance seasons immediately prior (i.e., for the 2022 round, within the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 seasons). Each recording should be between three and five minutes in length (excerpts are acceptable).
• Please submit recordings of live performances rather than edited studio sessions unless no live recordings are available, and this should be indicated if so. Musical examples should demonstrate the performance quality of the core members of the ensemble playing together in representative repertoire, rather than feature extended soloistic passages.
• 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.
• The review panel strongly recommends that for one of the three recordings a score be uploaded in PDF format, marked at the point at which listening is to begin. If this presents serious difficulties, please so indicate.
• If project support is being requested for the work of one or more particular composers, the applicant should make every effort to include a recording of a representative sample of the work of those composers, even if the recording is by performers other than the applicant ensemble.

Supporting Materials

• A list of all performances and repertoire for the season for which support is being requested and the two years prior, including identification of any outside artists or organizations, if applicable. This should amount to three consecutive years of information. The review panel will take into account that this information may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please do not submit this list in the form of season brochures.
• A list with award amounts of foundation, corporate, and government support for the season for which support is being requested and the two years prior. This should amount to three consecutive years of support information. (Projections are acceptable for the coming year and, to the extent necessary, the current year.) For the year for which you are requesting support, it is required to differentiate between secured funding and prospective funding.
• A list of members of the Board of Directors (or equivalent governing body) and their principal professional affiliations.
• Organizational budgets which should amount to three consecutive years of financial information using the required budget template. If providing detailed budget information will be particularly difficult for your organization, please contact the Grants Manager. Download the budget template here.
• Also submit your most recent audited financial statement, if available. (Not every organization is required to have an audited financial statement; however, if one is available for any of the past three fiscal years, the latest one must be submitted.)

Application cycle and deadline

Applications must be received by September 30, 2022 at 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time.

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by the end of February 2023.

IMPORTANT: You are responsible for complying with all legal and contractual requirements that may apply to the creation of your application 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

Inquiries

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

Telephone: 212-461-6956
E-mail: grantsmanager@amphionfoundation.org

Revised August 22, 2022

The current grant cycle is for performing ensembles only.

The Amphion Foundation defines performing ensembles as follows: 

• 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 ensembles. Dance companies are also eligible to apply for projects that involve live performances of contemporary concert music.
• Please note that orchestras and opera companies that do not specialize in contemporary music are only eligible to apply for project support. 

Application snapshot 

• Eligibility
• Eligible activity
• Funding provisions
• Criteria
• How to apply
• Application cycle and deadline

Eligibility 

Applications may be submitted by publicly supported non-profit or fiscally sponsored ensembles that have a history of substantial commitment to contemporary concert music at a high level of excellence. Ensembles must have been in existence for at least two years at the time of application.  Applicants with fewer than two full past seasons must contact the Grants Manager for approval prior to beginning an application.  

Applications from organizations with a budget of over $10 million will be considered only for project support and the Grants Manager should be contacted for approval prior to beginning an application. 

Please note that, in general, the grant program does not support jazz music. 

Eligible activity 

Please note: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation will accept proposals for the following in addition to regular in-person activities: 

• Socially distanced and other safe methods of live performance
• Virtual and web performances, including live and recorded streaming 

The Foundation does not accept proposals for: 

• Commissions to composers
• Endowment funding
• Audio or audio-visual recordings (other than those allowed above due to the pandemic)
• Music publishing projects
• Projects that are part of the curriculum of an educational institution
• Composition competitions except as part of a larger program of support for composers 

Support generally will be given only for activities that begin in the next season. Thus, for the 2023 grant round, support generally will only be given to projects and activities that begin between September 2023 and August 2024. The Foundation will only consider activities that fall outside of the normal period of support under extraordinary circumstances. Please contact the Grants Manager for further information. 

Note that orchestra, dance, and opera companies, other than contemporary concert music specialists, may apply only for Project Support. 

For prospective Project Support applicants: An eligible project is a clearly defined endeavor that may include one or more live and/or virtual performances of contemporary concert music* and, often, other activities related to the performance(s) that improve the public’s knowledge and appreciation of such music. An aggregated list of contemporary concert music activities spread intermittently over the course of a season would not be eligible for Project Support, but could be considered for General Operating Support if a multi-year history of substantial commitment to contemporary concert music as an integral part of the applicant’s activities is demonstrated. 

*Please note that the term “contemporary concert music” (which includes opera and all other forms of such music) is intended only to distinguish such music from contemporary popular music, which is not fundable. 

Funding provisions 

Applicants should be aware that support in one year does not imply continuation of that support. In general, grants will range between $1,000 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. Organizations who are members of a commissioning consortium and who are requesting support for the performance of the commissioned work should contact the Grants Manager for further advice prior to beginning an application. 

Criteria 

The following criteria will be applied in evaluating grant proposals: 

• History of high-quality performances of, or otherwise substantially fostering the public knowledge and appreciation of, contemporary concert music
• The significant contributions the organization has made to the field of contemporary concert music in the past and those it is likely to make in the future
• The responsibility and effectiveness of management
• Special for 2021-present grant programs: ongoing activity in the absence of public concerts due to COVID-19 or the reasons why such activity could not be undertaken
• The Amphion Foundation encourages programming that whenever possible celebrates a broad spectrum of diverse creators and strives to reflect the communities served by the organization.

The Amphion Foundation encourages programming that whenever possible celebrates a broad spectrum of diverse creators and strives to reflect the communities served by the organization.

How to apply 

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

You will need to create a new account. We will approve new accounts as quickly as possible, but please allow up to three business days for approval. 

If your organization already has an account on our site: 

Log in here to the website and proceed to the program page. 

Click the “Apply Now” button to begin the online application process. The proposal may be completed in stages but must be saved often to avoid lost work. It is not necessary to complete the application in one session. 

Please note that all applicant information should be entered directly into the online application except where links to external data are specifically permitted. 

A complete application will include the following information: 

Organization Information 

• Basic contact and legal information, which should be added or updated on the applicant's account:
  • Contact information, including primary contact name, current e-mail address, phone number, and mailing address.
  • 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. If the applicant organization is not based in the United States, submit a letter from a local lawyer confirming its equivalence to a publicly funded 501(c)(3) organization.
  • Federal tax ID number
  • 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.
• Three-year financial snapshot including FY22, FY23, which the Foundation recognizes may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and FY24 projected. 

Applicant Information 

• Type of organization (Note: Only performing ensembles are eligible to apply for funding in the Spring cycle)
• Mission of the organization
• The number of concerts projected in the season (including online) for which support is being requested and the two years prior.  

Proposal 

• The specific time period for which support is requested. If General Operating Support is being requested, please indicate the support period as "2023-2024 season."
• The amount and type of support (General Operating or Project Support) requested, and purpose of the request.
• Depending on the type of support requested, the General Operating or Project Support description should include specific details, repertoire, and the nature of activity for which support is being requested. Project Support applicants should also include a brief summary of intended repertoire or other related activities for the 2023-24 concert season, particularly regarding contemporary concert music. Special for the 2022 grant cycle: If the applicant organization was able to maintain some public-facing activities during the period that public concerts were not possible due to COVID-19, a description of such activities specifically related to contemporary concert music, including online activities, streaming, web presence efforts to maintain or grow audience, and/or ways the organization has adapted, should be included. (5,000 characters or less)
• If Project Support is requested, the following must also be supplied: a project budget, a breakdown of the project costs, and an itemized list of other sources of income for the project. The list of other sources of income should include the amount from each source and whether it is secured or prospective funding.
• History of the organization listing all of the activities in which it has been engaged during the past two years and the activities in which it proposes to engage during the season for which support is being requested. Special for the 2022 grant cycle: A description of any actual or potential changes in organization board and/or administrative team and/or ensemble personnel since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Any specific fundraising or budgetary challenges resulting from the pandemic may also be addressed in this section. (5,000 characters or less)
• Description of the constituencies or audiences that are served, including size, age groups, and geographic regions. Links to relevant online data maybe be included in this section. 

Musical and Media Materials

• MP3 recordings of three contemporary concert compositions performed by the ensemble and recorded within the three performance seasons immediately prior (i.e., for the 2023 round, within the 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023 seasons). Each recording should be between three and five minutes in length (excerpts are acceptable).
• Recordings should be of live performances rather than edited studio sessions unless no live recordings are available, and this should be indicated if so. Musical examples should demonstrate the performance quality of the core members of the ensemble playing together in representative repertoire, rather than feature extended soloistic passages.
• For applicants in which the visual element is important to the presentation of the music, video work samples of the performers, company, any choreographer and the project’s director are very helpful in assessing a proposal. However, the Foundation recognizes that there may be legal or contractual restrictions that prevent an applicant from furnishing video work samples. If an applicant of this type is unable to furnish a video due to legal or contractual obligations, please so state in the proposal. Video samples should involve live performances of contemporary concert music. Promotional or news clip videos which include substantial amounts of spoken commentary should not be submitted unless there is no alternative video available, and this should be indicated. In such cases, the applicant should also indicate the timing of the substantial musical content included in the video.
• 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.
• The review panel strongly recommends that for one of the three recordings, a score be uploaded in PDF format, marked at the point at which listening is to begin. If this presents serious difficulties, please so indicate.
• If project support is being requested for the work of one or more particular composers, the applicant should make every effort to include a recording of a representative sample of the work of those composers, even if the recording is by performers other than the applicant ensemble. 

Supporting Materials 

• A list of all performances and repertoire for the season for which support is being requested and the two years prior, including identification of any outside artists or organizations, if applicable. This should amount to three consecutive years of information. The review panel will take into account that this information may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please do not submit this list in the form of season brochures. 
• A list with award amounts of foundation, corporate, and government support for the season for which support is being requested and the two years prior. This should amount to three consecutive years of support information. (Projections are acceptable for the coming year and, to the extent necessary, the current year.) For the year for which you are requesting support, it is required to differentiate between secured funding and prospective funding. 
• A list of members of the Board of Directors (or equivalent governing body) and their principal professional affiliations. 
• Organizational budgets which should amount to three consecutive years of financial information using the required budget template. If providing detailed budget information will be particularly difficult for your organization, please contact the Grants Manager. Download the budget template here. 
• Also submit your most recent audited financial statement, if available. (Not every organization is required to have an audited financial statement; however, if one is available for any of the past three fiscal years, the latest one must be submitted.) 

Application cycle and deadline 

Applications must be received by February 28, 2023 at 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time.  

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by the end of July 2023. Please do not contact the Foundation for updates on funding decisions. 

IMPORTANT: You are responsible for complying with all legal and contractual requirements that may apply to the creation of your application 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 

Inquiries 

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

Telephone: 212-461-6956 (Monday-Thursday, 10am - 5pm) 
E-mail: grantsmanager@amphionfoundation.org 

Revised December 7, 2022