Our 2021-22 Music in Action grant program has launched!
Apply online: 2021-22 Music in Action Grant Application
Deadline: November 15, 2021
The Richard Wagner Society of the Upper Midwest conceived the Music in Action program in June, 2020. The objective of the 2020-21 Music in Action program was “to provide financial support for local musicians while addressing the greater need for hope, healing, and community exposed by the killing of George Floyd.” Our board members donated $5000 to the program, enabling us to award grants to two local vocalists. They produced exceptional, innovative, and very personally meaningful musical performances. Read more about last year’s program here and watch the performances.
While the immediate shock of the George Floyd tragedy is now in the past, we still live in turbulent times and emerging artists still need our support. We have updated the Music in Action program objectives accordingly:
The intent of this grant program is to supply musicians with the funds needed to create performances and retain fair compensation for them. Grantees will own the rights to all content produced under the grant and may use it as desired to advance their career.
Each performance will consist of operatic and/or art song pieces of any era, including at least one composed by Wagner. Performances must either be:
October 1, 2021 Program launch; applications may be submitted beginning on this day
November 15, 2021 Application deadline. All application materials must be received
December 31, 2021 Grant awards announced
Spring & Fall 2022 Grant project premieres and talkbacks (2-3 per season)
Grant contracts will be sent out within two weeks following the award announcement. Half of the total grant award will be dispensed upon receipt of signed contract. Grant funds cannot be used to pay for expenses incurred before the grant contract is signed. All work products, including a final accounting, must be delivered within two weeks following the project premiere. Any extension requires written permission from the Wagner Society.
An applicant must:
Be an individual artist. Organizations or individuals submitting on behalf of an organization will not be considered. Projects may include other individuals (e.g. other vocalists, instrumentalists, or other performing artists).
Live in the Twin Cities seven-county metro area (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties).
Be a US citizen, be a US permanent resident, or be an individual otherwise legally able to work in the US.
Apply online using our convenient application form! Please direct any questions to our Program Coordinator, Michael Ruppert, at Michael_Ruppert@hotmail.com.
The 2020-21 Music in Action program, RWSUM's first-ever grant program, was a great success, having funded the production of two inspiring performances. Read more about the 2020-21 program here.
At our May 2021 board meeting, the seven directors on RWSUM's board approved an expanded Music in Action program for 2021-22 with Dr David Cline and Renate Sharp as Co-Chairs of the fundraising campaign. Dr. Cline founded RWSUM in 1998, while Renate proposed and inspired the inaugural program. She, along with Don Notvik, became Founding Sponsors, and continue to provide leadership funding for the 2021-22 program.
You can still make a difference!For our inaugural 2020-21 program, all grant funds were donated by the board of directors. For 2021-22, we expect to issue grants to 4-6 emerging artists, two to three times as many! The board has once again made a substantial financial commitment to the program, but by expanding fundraising to you, our RWSUM members and friends, we established a goal of $15,000, tripling the funding of the inaugural program. As of October 1, we have raised in excess of $13,000! We're still striving for a goal of $15,000, and we're so very close! It's not too late to contribute! RWSUM is an all-volunteer organization; every dollar you contribute will fund projects created by local musicians! | Thank You, Donors!Matching Fund Contributors: Renate Sharp and Don Notvik, Music in Action Founding Sponsors, In Honor of Dr. David Cline Meg & Steve Blake Dr. David Cline Jim Richardson & Dorothy Horns Michael J Ruppert, in Honor of Jim Richardson Jerry Swenson Members and Friends: Betty Andrews Anonymous, in Honor of Dr. David Cline Anonymous, in Honor of Hans Hotter Anonymous, in Honor of Michael Ruppert James Ashe Mark Campbell Brad Clark Vicky Cook Tim Counts Jeremy Geaga Marylee Guerrero Rick Johnson David Mayo Michelle Ruppert Laura Turner Hilan Warshaw Kevin Winge, in Honor of Michael Ruppert P. Hauoli’ipo Wright Plus Four Additional Anonymous Donors |