Irvine, CA – June 24, 2022 – The California Arts Council has announced a grant award of $10,925 to Choral Arts Initiative as part of its Arts & Cultural Organizations General Operating Relief program in its first round of funding for 2022.
From Brandon Elliott, Artistic & Executive Director: “Our PREMIERE|Project Festival has become nationally recognized as a launching pad for composers to build sustainable and successful careers as music creators. Staying true to our mission, our dream is to eventually make participation in this festival entirely free for composers as part of our commitment to eliminate systemic access barriers. For the 2022 PREMIERE|Project Festival, we slashed the participation fees by 60% for all participants, plus offered additional Access, Equity & Inclusion scholarships to half of the participants. We were able to do this in partnership with local corporations and our family of supporters who share in our dream to make our world class education program free for participants. Thanks to this additional support by the California Arts Council, we can offer even more scholarship aid for the 2023 PREMIERE|Project Festival.”
Choral Arts Initiative was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council, with grant awards for its Cycle A programming totaling more than $31 million across more than 1,100 grants supporting nonprofit organizations and units of government throughout the state. The dollar amount already marks the largest annual investment in the California Arts Council’s 46-year history.
“We are elated today to be able to say that, with this first round of funds, we are placing a historic amount of money into the very worthy hands of California’s arts and cultural workforce—and with more yet to come,” said California Arts Council Chair Lilia Gonzáles-Chávez. “We have long since understood the value of our artists in this state, and we are incredibly grateful to our Governor and our Legislature for their support and sharing in a like-minded vision for a California where all people flourish with access to and participation in the arts.”
Organizations were awarded grants across seven different program areas within Cycle A, focused on the CAC’s efforts to address geographic equity, enable autonomy and sustainability for smaller organizations, and grow the strength of local arts agencies and their partnerships.
To view a complete listing of all California Arts Council grantees by county, visit this link. For a complete listing of grantees by organization, go to this link.
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ABOUT CHORAL ARTS INITIATIVE
We believe that we have the opportunity to be a living metaphor that celebrates unity. We believe that fostering and embracing the music of emerging composers is critical to our art form. We believe that our community deserves to hear the greatest performances of new choral music. We believe that passion and sincerity should be at the forefront of all musical endeavors. We are Choral Arts Initiative.
Choral Arts Initiative is a non-profit 501(c)(3) choral organization comprised of some of the most talented and passionate musicians in the Southern California region. Widely recognized as a champion of new music, Choral Arts Initiative has been praised as “gracefully lyrical” (Voice of OC), hailed as one of Orange County’s “Best Choirs” (CBS News, Los Angeles), and noted for its “sublime” and “triumphant” performances (Textura). Winner of the American Prize in Choral Performance, recipient of the ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming, and Winner of the San Francisco Classical Voice Audience Choice Awards for Best New Music Performance, Choral Arts Initiative continues its commitment to musical innovation and excellence. Their inaugural album, How to Go On: The Choral Works of Dale Trumbore, ranked #6 on the Billboard Charts (Traditional Classical Albums), and #4 on the iTunes Best Seller Classical Charts. Their second album, From Wilderness: A Meditation on the Pacific Crest Trail soared to the #1 Best Seller (Classical) on Amazon, #2 on iTunes, and charted for three weeks on the Billboard Charts, peaking at #3 (Traditional Classical Albums). Their passion for new music has led to the commission of nineteen compositions and the premiere of over seventy works.
ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL
The California Arts Council is a state agency with a mission of strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. It supports local arts infrastructure and programming statewide through grants, initiatives, and services. The California Arts Council envisions a California where all people flourish with universal access to and participation in the arts.
Members of the California Arts Council include: Lilia Gonzáles-Chávez, Chair; Consuelo Montoya, Vice Chair; Gerald Clarke, Vicki Estrada, Jodie Evans, Ellen Gavin, Alex Israel, Phil Mercado, and Roxanne Messina Captor. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.
The California Arts Council is committed to increasing the accessibility of its online content. For language and accessibility assistance, visit https://arts.ca.gov/about/about-us/language-communications-assistance.