Happy Summer! Over the last few weeks we have been asking members, participants, and organizers to tell us how our rolling grants have been useful to them and their communities. So let’s take a trip around the world and see what folks have to say about our Just Play and Impresario grants

If you want to see how Home Coaching and Play-In grants have been put to use check here.

Just Play Grants

ACMP awards micro-grants to help chamber music ensembles showcase work they have rehearsed and prepared in an informal concert setting. 

Moriah Son (New York, NY)

After wanting to return to playing more classical chamber music, I started reaching out to cellists through the ACMP directory. While many people were busy, one cellist, Emily, kindly responded and said that while she is unavailable, her boyfriend, Jonathan, a pianist, had also been looking to play chamber music again.

Jonathan and I began playing together, and soon after, Emily connected us with another cellist, Hana. The three of us started meeting monthly, casually sight reading through pieces. Then, one day, Jonathan mentioned that Emily had the idea of organizing a joint concert. What began as informal music reading sessions quickly grew into a collaborative project. Over the course of about three months, we rehearsed extensively, worked with a coach, and prepared a full program together.

While we all come from different professional backgrounds and balance music alongside our everyday lives, chamber music became a meaningful creative outlet and source of community for us throughout this process. Our recent concert was incredibly rewarding, not only because of the music itself, but because it reflected how connection, collaboration, and a shared love of music can bring people together in unexpected ways.

We are very proud of what we created together and are looking forward to continuing to make music together in the future!

Watch Moriah and her group Play here: https://youtu.be/ckjex5mObMY

Laura Levi (Milan, Italy)

We are sincerely and honestly grateful to ACMP. We, Francesca and I, are a duo, flute and piano. We met years ago and found a common interest, researching and studying the compositions of women composers, this is why our name is Duo Chaminade, from Cecile Chaminate a 19th century woman who composed wonderful masterpieces for flute and piano.

Ofte, when we organise a concert, we ask for a grant from ACMP. The location we play have old pianos that are not tuned. The grant allows us to tune the piano and once it helped us organising a small buffet after the concert. It is wonderful to find a connection with people loving music in other countries. We do not know each other but share the love for music and have a common passion.

Maybe, one day, we will organise a concert for you all here in Italy!

Impresario Grants

ACMP awards grants to membership organizations to present concerts that provide performance opportunities for multiple adult amateur chamber music ensembles.

Kevin Wilson (Powell River, Canada)

On Sun May 17, the qathet Symphony Orchestra and qathet Concert Band joined forces to present our second annual Chamber Music Concert in Powell River, B.C., Canada supported by an ACMP Impresario Grant. Our venue was the wonderful new Arts Hub space (with 9ft Steinway Grand piano) and had about 70 people in attendance. Eight groups performed, a good mix of strings, piano, winds and brass.

The program included selections and arrangements from: Kaspar Kummer Duet for flute and clarinet, Op. 46 No. 2; Hoffmeister Horn Quintet in E flat; Beethoven Trio Op 87; Mozart Horn Concerto No 4 in Eb;  Clarinet Sonate Op. 120 No. 2, Johannes Brahms; J. S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.6 in B flat; Mozart Quintet for piano and winds in E flat, K. 452.

Quintette Bleu (who played the Hoffmeister horn quintet in the Chamber Music Concert) received an ACMP home coaching grant recently for a session with Simon Gidora, pro violinist and vocalist and conductor of the Sunshine Coast Community Orchestra. He helped us improve our balance, dynamics and musicality a great deal.

Athena Lansing (Golden, Colorado)

Jefferson Symphony in Golden, Colorado is a volunteer orchestra now in its 74th season!  JSO performs five regular season concerts and for the past several years has presented two showcase recitals featuring its chamber ensembles. What began as four or five chamber groups performing to a small crowd in a chapel has grown in popularity and now the showcase recitals are performed in a church sanctuary to accommodate the ever growing audience. The November 2025 recital had 125 attendees who heard 22 musicians performing.

JSO is most grateful to ACMP for its support to cover the facility rental costs and most importantly, to pay our Music Director, Dr. J. Arturo Gonzalez for his time and expertise to coach most of the ensembles prior to each recital. JSO provides free admission to all recitals for youth 17 and under and all season subscribers. We charge a nominal fee for adults to help cover our indirect expenses.