National Endowment for the Arts Awards $50,000 Stimulus Grant to The Young People's Chorus of New York City™

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July 22, 2009…The Young People’s Chorus of New York City™ has been awarded a $50,000 stimulus grant as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 through the National Endowment for the Arts. As part of President Obama’s stimulus package, the NEA has awarded grants to fund arts projects and activities that preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn.

The list of award recipients is a collection of some of the most highly regarded arts institutions in the country. The grant was awarded based on an assessment of the quality of the organization, the potential and significance of the organization in the arts work force, and the likelihood for further success as an institution. YPC is one of only four choirs around the country to receive this vital support, and the only youth chorus to receive it under the Music category.

This award comes at a significant time in the organization’s institutional development, enabling YPC to continue to offer the broad-reaching music education and performance programs that enrich the lives of over 1,000 New York City youth and to commission new, cutting-edge choral music from some of the nation’s most eminent composers. In the face of an economic crisis, the magnitude of which we have not seen since the Great Depression, the American Recovery and Recruitment Act represents a significant investment in our country’s future and will help YPC reach its financial goals.

Francisco J. Núňez, Artistic Director and Founder of YPC, says: “This grant could not have come at a better time. We are extremely grateful to the NEA for their measure of support and for providing us with funds that will aid in our ability to continue to provide children of diverse abilities and ethnic backgrounds with a unique program of music appreciation and choral performance that seeks to fulfill each child’s musical potential, while creating a model of artistic excellence and harmony that enriches our community.”

Young People’s Chorus of New York City™ is one of today’s most influential youth choruses. It was founded in 1988 by Francisco J. Núňez and is the resident chorus of the 92nd Street Y; Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center; and WNYC, New York Public Radio. Children of all ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds participate annually through the core after-school choral program and the Satellite program in New York City public schools.

The NEA also supports two of YPC’s vital programs: the Partner Schools Program which recruits young people from New York City’s underserved schools and offers full scholarships to participate in YPC’s award-winning after-school chorus, and Radio Radiance, YPC’s new commissioning and performance project that develops new audiences for new music by using the combined resources of radio, digital media and the internet.

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