PMAY Artists’ Initiative
Training young musicians for the future
The Philadelphia Music Alliance for Youth (PMAY) Artists' Initiative supports and prepares 5th-12th graders particularly from communities that are historically excluded in classical music and those who encounter hardships to realize their musical potential and ultimately pursue their dreams of becoming professional musicians.
PMAY Artists' Initiative Website
The PMAY Artists’ Initiative offers students financial support to make lessons, music classes, youth orchestra participation, and summer music camps affordable. Students will be able to attend free college and career preparation workshops, and PMAY teachers and staff will work with each family to make sure each musician has a strong plan to be accepted into a music conservatory, college or university music school majoring in music.
The PMAY Artists’ Initiative long term goal is to increase diversity in America’s professional musical landscape, particularly in its orchestras, promoting equity, vibrancy, and sustainability within those organizations and the extraordinary art form they celebrate. We are working to change the face of classical music.
While each PMAY Artist’s plan for study will be different, the estimated value of what each PMAY Artist will receive in financial support is in the thousands of dollars annually.
The PMAY Artists’ Initiative is designed for serious music students who have a high musical aptitude and the motivation to pursue a professional music career on a standard orchestral instrument.
- Students currently in grades 4-11 may audition
Eligible instruments include:
- Violin, viola, cello and double bass
- Flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon
- Trumpet, French horn, trombone and tuba
- Percussion
- Harp
This program is open only to orchestral instrumentalists. Applications for piano, saxophone, guitar and voice students will not be accepted.
The PMAY Artists’ Initiative is a collaboration among Philadelphia organizations that believe in providing access to music education for all students. PMAY Artists may work closely with one or many of these organizations and their programs, based on the individual needs and goals of the Artists. The organizations are:
- Settlement Music School
- Musicopia
- Philadelphia Sinfonia
- PYO Music Institute
- Project 440
- Temple University Music Prep
Questions? Please email Najib Wong, PMAY Artists’ Inititiative Director, at najib.wong@pmayartists.org
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