The National Endowment for the Arts has approved the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera for a $10,000 Art Works grant to support concerts of works by female composers and female guest artists, as well as related educational activities.
The award will provide funding for the CSO’s April 30 season finale, “Pictures at an Exhibition,” which will feature Chinese-American composer Wang Jie’s “America the Beautiful.”
Area middle and high school students will be invited to attend “Girls of Note,” a meet-and-greet with Jie, on April 28 at 6 p.m. at the Tivoli Theatre. Students will also have the chance to hear the CSO rehearse for the concert.
Jie will also take part in the CSO’s “Meet the Composer” luncheon at Walden Club on April 29 at 11:30 a.m. Tickets for the luncheon will go on sale in late March.
These programs are part of the CSO’s commitment to introducing audiences to a diverse group of composers and guest artists, says Kayoko Dan, CSO music director.
“I have made a conscious effort to prominently feature underrepresented composers, particularly female composers, throughout our Masterworks and Chamber Series,” Dan says.
“Composer Rob Deemer’s Institute for Composer Diversity has inspired me to be more mindful about programming, and we are proud to be recognized by that organization as one of the U.S. orchestras making huge strides in inclusivity.”
The Art Works funding category supports projects that focus on public engagement.
“The arts are at the heart of our communities, connecting people through shared experiences and artistic expression,” says Arts Endowment chairman Mary Anne Carter. “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support projects such as this one.”
The National Endowment for the Arts has approved 1,187 grants totaling $27.3 million in the first round of fiscal year 2020 funding to support arts projects in every state as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Source: CSO