HAMPTON ROADS, VA [May 14, 2018] —The Virginia Symphony Orchestra will receive $15,000 for its new “Generations in Unison” and “Afternoon Encores” programs from the National Endowment for the Arts this year.
Launched in 2017, Generations in Unison addresses the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of memory care and assisted living residents in partnering facilities. The Art Works grant will provide partial funding for the program in four partner facilities.
A portion of the funding will also support the production of an “Afternoon Encores” concert, another recent innovation designed to increase community access to live symphonic music. “Afternoon Encores” are matinee performances serving those in the Hampton Roads senior community who might otherwise not attend a symphony concert because of physical or other limitations.
“Winning this national award in a very competitive field is not only gratifying, but the funding provided helps advance our mission to connect with the community beyond the concert hall. With this grant, we will make the experience of live music more accessible to seniors suffering from dementia and memory loss and directly improve their lives. The impact of both programs is evident in the excitement and engagement with the program by those directly involved,” said Director of Orchestra Activities Christy Havens.
The Art Works category is the NEA’s largest funding category and supports projects that focus on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and/or the strengthening of communities through the arts.
“The variety and quality of these projects speaks to the wealth of creativity and diversity in our country,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Through the work of organizations such as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in Hampton Roads, Virginia, NEA funding invests in local communities, helping people celebrate the arts wherever they are.”
For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
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Under the leadership of GRAMMY-winning music director JoAnn Falletta, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra is Virginia’s pre-eminent professional symphony orchestra with a mission of inspiring, educating and connecting audiences of all ages.
Founded in 1921, it is ranked in the top ten percent of professional orchestras nationwide and serves the entire Southeastern Virginia region with Classics, Pops and Family concert series in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News and Williamsburg as well as performances in outlying Virginia and North Carolina communities, reaching more than 150,000 concert-goers every year. Additionally, the orchestra annually reaches 45,000 children, students and lifelong learners with its education and community programs. The Virginia Symphony has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center and is the cornerstone of the performing arts in Hampton Roads.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2018
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