The Presser Foundation

10/06/2026

This year brings a few milestones for our Board: we're honoring two longtime leaders and welcoming several new faces.

We're celebrating Ellen Rosen, whose steady leadership as Board President included establishing the Foundation's first DEI Committee in 2019 and helping steward our strategic plan - and William McLaughlin, III, whose service since 2009 has shaped the Foundation's largest grantmaking area, Advancement of Music.

Leading us forward: Chris Rinaldi steps into the role of Board President, bringing decades of experience in music education and the music industry. He's joined by new officers, committee chairs, and five new Board and Committee Members - each bringing expertise in law, finance, education, and the arts to support our mission.

Read the full post for more on this year's Board updates: https://presserfoundation.org/blog-post/board-updates-the-presser-foundations-2026-27-year/

10/05/2026

We recently enjoyed a beautiful evening in Germantown celebrating the life and legacy of pianist Leon Bates, a longtime Trustee of The Presser Foundation.

Pianist Dynasty Battles performed a deeply personal program at First Presbyterian Church in Germantown, the neighborhood Leon once called home. The music brought together works that shaped Dynasty’s artistic journey under Leon’s guidance with pieces that reflected Leon’s own distinguished career as a concert pianist.

Our Executive Director Teresa Araco Rodgers was grateful to be there for this moving tribute to a remarkable musician, teacher, mentor, and friend of the Foundation, and to experience how his influence continues through another generation of artists.

Congratulations to Dynasty and Bowerbird on a touching tribute honoring Leon’s legacy.

10/02/2026

We’re pleased to launch a series highlighting several newer general operating support grant recipients!

Up first: 1807 & Friends, which has spent more than 40 years bringing music to various corners of Philadelphia - public concerts, performances in retirement and rehabilitation facilities, interactive presentations, and educational programs in schools across the city.

Their subscription season features five concerts a year, ranging from mainstream chamber music to world premieres to lesser-known gems. Their educational presentations take audiences on a journey through musical history and geography - from music of King David's era to traditional Cambodian and Vietnamese works to the history of the bow itself - all presented in an engaging, hands-on programming for schools and communities.

One standout: their Young Composers Project. Students create original compositions by contributing phrases, melodies, and rhythms that an 1807 member then organizes into a score. Then, the student performs the piece alongside 1807 & Friends' professional musicians at a school assembly. From 3rd grade through high school, the project has produced dozens of original works and opened the door to creativity for countless young musicians.

Stay tuned as we highlight more of our grantees. 🎵

09/30/2026

Congratulations to saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins on being named a 2026 MacArthur Fellow from the MacArthur Foundation! 🎷

An alto saxophonist and composer, Wilkins pairs jazz tradition with modern textures in multipart works that trace histories of injustice and resilience into the present. Across albums like Omega, The 7th Hand, and Blues Blood, he draws on gospel, the blues, and the Black American church to create music that holds grief, reverence, and joy side by side, most recently captured live with his longtime quartet at the Village Vanguard.

Wilkins' musical path runs through organizations we're proud to support. Through early training and development at Settlement Music School and The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, to performances and residencies at WRTI, Ars Nova Workshop, Ensemble Arts Philly, and Penn Live Arts - it's a reminder of how a strong local music ecosystem helps artists grow, from first lessons to the world stage.

We're thrilled to celebrate this incredible accomplishment of Wilkins alongside the community that helped nurture him.

09/29/2026

Have you had a Bach’s Lunch before? How about a box lunch while listening to jazz music?

Every third Thursday of the month, the Community Music School (CMS) in Trappe hosts Bach’s Lunch, where faculty members and selected guests perform a free mini concert featuring a variety of genres for the public.

This September, Bach’s Lunch featured a Jazz Trio with Alec Charon on guitar, Alan Dynin on piano, and John Dimase on trumpet & vocals. An audience of all ages listened, ate, and danced in their seats to a variety of classic songs.

Free, open to all, and a good reason to take a longer lunch.

https://www.cmsmusic.org/bachs-lunch-series/

09/25/2026

Rachel Spencer Music, a jazz trumpeter and DMA graduate from the Butler School of Music, wraps up this year's Graduate Music Award recipient spotlight lineup. 🎵

Spencer's debut album, The Next Right Thing, features original compositions and arrangements - and confronts a stark reality in her field: women make up only an estimated 3-5% of professional jazz instrumentalists and trumpeters. As a bandleader and one of the only women in many rooms she's played in, Spencer set out to produce a record that puts female artistry front and center.

With the award's support, Spencer recorded the album with a lineup that includes trombonist Michael Dease, pianist Andy Langham, and drummer Adam Jackson, and has performed the music at local jazz clubs and in educational masterclasses. The album is now in mastering, with singles planned for late winter 2026 and a full release targeted for early 2027.

"Receiving grant funds from The Presser Foundation have been nothing short of life changing," Spencer said. "The difference of having my debut feature professional mixing, mastering, publicity, etc. will undoubtedly alter the course of my career."

That concludes this year's spotlight series - thank you to all of this year's Graduate Music Award recipients for sharing their work with us. 🎶

I am so excited to share the release of my debut album "The Next Right Thing" featuring all original compositions. This work was a long time coming, featuring stories about bravery, artistry, and community, with a message that resonates with many: "Do the next right thing." I hope we can take the ne...

09/24/2026

Our colleague Jill recently joined the audience at the Hill-Physick House in Philadelphia - a home built in the 1700s - to hear music written in that same era.

The Serafins, a Foundation grantee, brought the evening to life with Wonderful Winds: quartets for bassoon and strings, oboe and strings, and a duet for oboe and bassoon, featuring works by Devienne, Beethoven, and Mozart.

There's something fitting about hearing 18th-century music in an 18th-century room. We're grateful to Serafin Ensemble for programming like this - where history and music share the same walls.

09/23/2026

🎷John Coltrane would be 100 today, and Philadelphia is ready to revel in his gifts.

Coltrane changed what was possible in jazz, pushing the music into new harmonic and spiritual territory that musicians are still exploring today.

Philadelphia was central to that journey. He played in the city's clubs, joined Miles Davis's quintet while living here, and returned to his home on 33rd Street for a personal and spiritual transformation that would change the course of his life and music.

How will you celebrate Coltrane's centennial? Our grantee Ars Nova Workshop is presenting COLTRANE 100, a yearlong celebration of performances, conversations, and community events honoring his legacy and Philadelphia's place in it:

“Developed in collaboration with the John and Alice Coltrane estate, artists, scholars, community leaders, and cultural partners across the city, the initiative will unfold across venues, libraries, public spaces, and neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.”

In 2026, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, Ars Nova Workshop will present COLTRANE 100 — a citywide constellation of performances, conversations, exhibitions, listening events, community gatherings, educational programs, and neighborhood activations honoring Coltrane’s endur...

09/22/2026

Philadelphia's Cultural Master Plan is almost complete, but there is still time to weigh in. If you are a Philadelphia creative or cultural organization leader, consider joining a webinar and make your voice heard. See below for more details.

Check out this invitation from Executive Director Val Gay of Creative Philadelphia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6LX5Jccdx4

Reminder Philadelphia! There's still time to share your voice on the future of arts and culture in our city.

Philadelphia's first Cultural Master Plan is almost here. Before the plan is finalized, we're bringing the draft back to the community for one more opportunity to learn, ask questions, and share feedback.

Last year, Philadelphians across all 10 City Council districts shared their ideas and vision for arts and culture. That community input helped shape the plan and how we want to make sure the draft reflects what you meant.

Join us for a 90-minute online public webinar to learn more about the draft plan and share your thoughts.

Upcoming Public Webinars:

Tuesday, September 29 | 6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.
Thursday, October 1 | 6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.
Thursday, October 8 | 6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.
Thursday, October 15 | 6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.

Independent artists: don't forget to join the webinar specifically for independent artists on Monday, September 28 at 12:00 P.M.

All sessions cover the same material, so choose the date that works best for you. Can't attend live? Register anyway to receive the recording and submit questions.

RSVP for an online public webinar: bit.ly/4zHHFNl
RSVP for an independent webinar: bit.ly/4caDZcU

09/18/2026

A new six-movement work for woodwind quintet made its debut at the 2025 Midwest Clinic in Chicago - commissioned by Allyson Kreider, a 2024–25 Graduate Music Award recipient and doctoral flutist from UNT College of Music. 🎵

Kreider's project began with a personal connection: after posting a recital of solo flute works by composers of color - including Jeffrey Mumford's "an evolving romance" - Mumford himself reached out to share his appreciation. That connection turned into an idea: commissioning Mumford, a leading American composer whose work has been performed by orchestras including the LA Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony, to write a new piece for woodwind quintet.

With the award's support, Kreider commissioned the piece from Mumford - one that introduces a main theme, then spotlights each instrument of the quintet in turn. The piece premiered in December 2025, with a recording still to come so the work can be shared and performed more widely.

"It will serve as a catalyst for us to reach new heights of our abilities as performers and independent thinkers, with equal importance of advocating for new music by historically underrepresented composers," Kreider shared.