Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Receives Cultural Fund Youth Arts Enrichment Grant

As the 77th season is launched for the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), President and Music Director Louis Scaglione is pleased to announce that Philadelphia Youth Orchestra is one of the recipients of The Philadelphia CulturalFund' 2016 Youth Arts Enrichment Grant. The Youth Arts Enrichment Grant Program supports specific programming that uses the artsto enrich the lives of Philadelphia's young people both in and out of school.

Mayor Jim Kenney is thrilled that this grant benefits so many cultural organizations and said, "Congratulations to the Philadelphia Cultural Fund's 2016 Youth Arts Enrichment Grantees. Through this program, thousands of our youth, many living in the most challenged areas of the City, will be provided with high level instruction, training and access to the arts by some of the City's mostextraordinary arts organizations. These grants speak to the City's priority to increase opportunities for our young people, and are adirect investment in Philadelphia's future."

Maestro Louis Scaglione, who is celebrating 20 years in association with PYO this season, shared his appreciation for this recognition. He said, "This is the first time we are receiving the Youth Arts Enrichment (YAE) Grant and we are honored to be recognized by The Philadelphia Cultural Fund. We extend our most sincere gratitude to the Mayor, City Council and everyone associated with The Philadelphia Cultural Fund as this grant will help us continue to reach even more students in under-resourced areas of Philadelphia who participate in our Tune Up Philly program."

YAE grants provide project support for programs that occur between July 1, 2016 and December 31, 2017 and will deliver highquality arts instruction, training, and participatory experiences to young people who are least likely to access cultural enrichmentthrough other avenues. This includes programming in Philadelphia's most underserved, impoverished communities.

The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra's vision is that through music-by tracking and supporting the journey of the student throughout-children living in poverty and in challenging neighborhoods can attain high levels of success and, thus, break through cycles ofpoverty: on behalf of themselves, their families, and whole communities. Tune Up Philly (TUP) students meet 2-3

times per week for intensive orchestral and small group instrumental instruction in addition to Saturday rehearsals andconcert/performance opportunities within their local communities and the City. Instruction totals over 290 hours per student.Participation also includes admission to Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, other PYO ensemble concerts, POPS concerts, access to artmuseums and more, all free of charge to TUP families and students. Veteran TUP students across all grades have achievedProficient or Advanced PSSA scores, with 100% of TUP 8th graders matriculating into competitive magnet and charter high schoolssince 2010.

"The arts not only enrich the lives of young Philadelphians, but it helps prepare them for a better, brighter future," said Philadelphia Cultural Fund's Executive Director Barbara Silzle. "Students with access to the arts - inside or outside of classrooms -do better academically, aim higher in their career goals, and become more civically involved. These outstanding art programs provide that access."

Established in 1991 to support and enhance the cultural life and vitality of the City of

Philadelphia and its residents, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, through The Combined efforts of the Philadelphia City Council andthe Mayor, promotes arts and culture as engines of social, educational and economic development and has played a keystabilizing role for numerous organizations by providing much-needed general operating funding.

About the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra:

Entering its 77th year, the renowned Philadelphia Youth Orchestra organization, led by President and Music Director, Maestro Louis Scaglione, is one of the nation's oldest and most respected community music education and youth orchestra performance programs, providing talented young musicians from across the tri-state area with exceptional musical training. Students go on to excel in many diverse fields, and it is with pride that Philadelphia Youth Orchestra notes that many members of the prestigious Philadelphia Orchestra are alumni. The organization is comprised of six program ensembles designed to meet specific needs and experience levels of students selected through a competitive audition process. The anchor group is the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), conducted by President and Music Director Louis Scaglione, featuring 125 gifted instrumentalists who range in age from 14-21. Young musicians 12-18 years old are featured in PYO's companion ensemble, the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra, which is led by Director and Conductor Maestra Rosalind Erwin, who is Music Director and Conductor of Drexel University Orchestra.

Philadelphia Young Musicians Orchestra (PYMO), directed by Maestro Kenneth Bean, is a beginning to intermediate-level full symphonic orchestra that provides most students with their first introduction to large orchestral playing featuring students age 10-17 years old. Bravo Brass, directed by Curtis Institute Dean of Faculty and Students, Paul Bryan, is an all brass ensemble for promising middle and high-school instrumentalists. PRYSM(Philadelphia Region Youth String Music) and PRYSM Young Artists ensembles provide string large ensemble and sectional master class instruction for beginning and intermediate musicians ages 6-14. The director and conductor of PRYSM is Gloria DePasquale, cellist with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and conductor of PRSYM Young Artists is Andrea Weber.

Tune Up Philly (TUP) is PYO's engagement program, directed by Paul Smith, that focuses on the creating and inspiring true community by providing children in underserved communities with invaluable opportunities to learn and perform a differentiated orchestral music curriculum. www.pyos.org.