WV SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES VITAL NEA GRANT AWARDED THROUGH CARES ACT

CHARLESTON, W.VA. (7/10/20) – The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra (WVSO) is humbled to receive a vitally needed National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grant totaling $50,000.00.

The grant, made available through the NEA, was created through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Safety (CARES) Act. Recipients of the funding include organizations in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Funding directly supports the artistic mission of the WVSO which is to make great music to enrich and inspire the region.

WVSO President Joe Tackett expressed his gratitude for the funding, “The NEA has really stepped up at a time when arts organizations need support. We are thrilled to be the recipient of this grant and will use it for the success of the Symphony and the community. We are thankful that our lawmakers realize the value of the arts during this time.”

More than 3,100 eligible applications were received by the NEA while only 855 agencies ultimately received funding. The WVSO was the only arts organization to receive funding in the Kanawha Valley. Arts Endowment Chairman Mary Anne Carter spoke of the level of need experienced by arts agencies amid the coronavirus, “All of us at the National Endowment for the Arts are keenly aware that arts organizations across the country are hurting, struggling, and trying to survive and that our supply of funding does not come close to meeting the demand for assistance.”

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 to support opportunities to participate in the arts for Americans. The federal agency works with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector to support arts learning, the cultivation of a rich and diverse arts heritage, and the promotion of access to arts in every community across America.

The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra wishes to express special thanks to the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History and Curator Randall Reid-Smith for their hard work in assisting West Virginia arts organizations with attaining funding from the NEA.

###

WV SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR MUSIC FELLOWSHIP IS DEC. 19

CHARLESTON, W.VA. (10/29/19) – The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra invites all high school instrumental music students to apply for the Andrew and Amy Vaughan Student Symphonic Fellowship, a monitored and time-intensive training program for serious music students.

December 19 is the last date to apply for this program that focuses on developing and encouraging West Virginia students with a strong desire for success as a future professional musician, educator, composer or conductor.

Selected fellows will sit alongside WVSO musicians during the second half of the Elliot Foundation Symphonic concert series and conduct personal research about the music performed. Fellows will also meet and interact with renowned guest artists, guest conductors, and WVSO Music Director Lawrence Loh. Additional fellowship activities will be tailored to the winning candidates’ interests and abilities. Fellowship activities take place primarily outside of school hours. Fellows who live outside of Charleston will receive a stipend for travel to symphony activities.

Candidates should be serious instrumental students in grades 9-12. Applications will be accepted for students playing the following instruments: harp, violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba, pitched and unpitched percussion, and piano. 

From the initial applicants, a small number of finalists will be invited to a two-part interview/audition on January 11 in Charleston. For the audition, students are encouraged to perform one or more movements from the standard concerto repertoire for solo instrument with orchestra. An accompanist will be provided, but students are also free to bring their own. Pianists should prepare a major solo movement from the standard sonata repertoire.

Applications are available at wvsymphony.org/fellowship. The program is underwritten by a generous donation from Dr. N. Andrew and Amy Vaughan.

The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra is West Virginia’s premier performing arts organization, presenting classical, pops, family and chamber-music concerts annually throughout the Mountain State. Currently in its 80th season, the WVSO is a proud member of the community and enriches the region by providing affordable, high-quality concerts, collaborations with West Virginia arts organizations and a nationally award-winning education program.

###