S.C. Arts Commission grant helps SCP sustain education and outreach positions
December 4, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – December 3, 2009 – The South Carolina Philharmonic was awarded an Arts Recovery Grant by the S.C. Arts Commission, allowing the orchestra to keep an educational outreach coordinator and a conductor for its Junior Strings Orchestra.
This one-time award helps fund two part-time positions. The educational outreach coordinator manages and supports education and outreach initiatives such as Kids-to-Concerts, the SCP’s Recital Series and the Arthur Fraser Piano Competition.
“With a three-person full time staff, the SCP has previously not been able to give education and outreach the critical attention that it deserves. Funding from the S.C. Arts Commission enables us to truly make a significant impact in many young lives,” said SCP Executive Director Rhonda Hunsinger.
The conductor for the Junior Strings Orchestra is responsible for overseeing the growth and development of the SCP’s youngest Youth Orchestra program. Specifically, the conductor chooses the music to be performed, oversees the audition process and provides coaching and training for each student musician. The Junior Strings Orchestra fills an important niche in the SCP’s Youth Orchestra program by reaching children who cannot play the literature of the more advanced groups, but still are technically proficient.
Local residents can see how the Arts Commission grant and local funds benefit the SCP by visiting http://www.scphilharmonic.com/ to preview the 2009/2010 “Morihiko 2.0” season, which includes four remaining concerts in the Masterworks Series and presented the exciting holiday concert “Jingle All the Way,” which brought 2009 Grammy Award winners Béla Fleck and The Flecktones to Columbia on Tuesday, Dec. 1 to play holiday favorites with the orchestra.
About SCAC:
The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission is working to increase public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina and by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call 803. 734.8696.
About the SCP:
An independent 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, the South Carolina Philharmonic has performed and promoted high-quality, professional symphonic music for 46 years, serving the community’s needs for cultural development and education, entertainment and tourism. The introduction of Music Director Morihiko Nakahara in 2008/2009 ushered in a New Era of Artistic Excellence that is allowing the orchestra to move forward and become the Midlands pre-eminent performing arts group.
