Central Ohio Symphony Receives Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

The Central Ohio Symphony has been approved for a Grants for Arts Projects award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support Musical Magic!, to be presented in March 2024.

The Symphony’s proposal is among 1,130 projects across the country, totaling more than $31 million, that were selected during this second round of Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2023 funding. This is the sixth time that the Symphony has received an NEA grant.

Musical Magic! by the Central Ohio Symphony will feature diverse guest artists and composers, world and western hemisphere premieres, and collaborative projects with the Arts Castle, local schools, and Ohio Wesleyan University. It will feature a world premiere, a western hemisphere premiere, a new work receiving only its second performance, and a well-known symphony. Trumpet virtuoso Pacho Flores, who performed with the orchestra in May 2022, chose this ensemble to perform the western hemisphere premiere of a new trumpet concerto, Caballos Mágicos by Christian Lingberg, as well as a world premiere for trumpet and orchestra, in part because of the Symphony’s commitments both to new music and to the community that he experienced firsthand when he was here.

“Bringing the ‘magic’ of new music, a virtuoso performer, an American classic, and engaging projects to our community is what the Symphony does best,” said Warren W. Hyer, Executive Director of the organization. “We are honored that the NEA recognized us again with this award.”

“The National Endowment for the Arts is pleased to support a wide range of projects, including the Central Ohio Symphony, demonstrating the many ways the arts enrich our lives and contribute to healthy and thriving communities,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “These organizations play an important role in advancing the creative vitality of our nation and helping to ensure that all people can benefit from arts, culture, and design.”