​2026 Winners

Click Here to Visit the Matching Grants Archive 

 

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Family Opera - Cinderella

The CSO will partner with the Atlanta Opera Studio Tour to present a family version of Rossini's Cinderella for Chattanooga children in March 2027. Three performances at the University of TN Chattanooga, a Title I school, and a community center will bring opera to children across several geographic and socioeconomic areas, especially focusing on areas with minimal arts access. The school and community center performances are both free, reducing financial barriers to participation. Performances feature CSO chamber ensembles and costumed singers from Atlanta Opera, who bring the story to life with colorful visuals and moving vocals.

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Family Opera builds on the CSO's Family Series, which partners with the City of Chattanooga’s childhood literacy initiative to pair classical music with storybooks like the Rainbow Fish to support early learning. Early childhood learning, school readiness, and literacy are key elements in the City of Chattanooga’s strategic plan, and the CSO supports these goals through the Family Series. These performances are highly enriching, provide each child with a storybook to take home, and reinforce literacy themes with engaging visual elements and music. Family Opera serves as the series' capstone. Interactive pre-show activities include an instrument petting zoo, where children can handle orchestra instruments, adding excitement when they recognize those same instruments onstage. Each student in attendance will go home with a copy of a Cinderella storybook.

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Locations are selected using literacy and arts access data to intentionally serve underserved communities with free, professional opera exposure. Opera engagement through educational adaptations of mainstage opera is a unique and exciting element for children. Underserved students in Title I schools and low-literacy communities are intentionally provided with access to free, professional, high-quality opera exposure as a foundation for classical music appreciation

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Knoxville Opera Camerata (formerly Guild)

Studio Arts Administration Volunteer Fellowship

The KO Studio Arts Administration Volunteer Fellowship is a focused volunteer training initiative designed to introduce emerging opera artists to the administrative and volunteer-driven side of opera company operations. Through one structured educational workshop and event-specific volunteer training, Knoxville Opera Studio members will serve as trained volunteers at Knoxville Opera fundraising and engagement events alongside members of the Knoxville Opera Camerata, the organization’s longstanding volunteer support group.

Participants will receive a foundational workshop on how professional opera companies are funded and sustained, including the roles of volunteers, boards, donors, and community partnerships. Following the workshop, fellows will complete event-specific volunteer training and serve with Knoxville Opera Camerata volunteers and KO staff at fundraising events throughout the season.

 

This project intentionally complements — rather than duplicates — the artistic training Knoxville Opera Studio members already receive. The fellowship provides practical exposure to nonprofit arts administration, audience development, and volunteer engagement, preparing young artists to be informed advocates and future leaders within the opera ecosystem.

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The Niagara Arts and Cultural Center

World Opera Day: Opera on the Border

World Opera Day: Opera on the Border is a dynamic, cross-cultural celebration of vocal artistry presented at the NACC in honor of World Opera Day. Positioned near one of the most symbolic international gateways in North America, this event will unite audiences across borders through the universal language of opera. Featuring local artistry and beloved repertoire, this project will have appeal to seasoned opera lovers and new attendees alike.

In alignment with OVI’s mission to expand access to opera and foster volunteer-driven engagement,

 

Opera on the Border will remove barriers to participation through free or low-cost admission, community outreach, and meaningful volunteer involvement at every level of production. Educational components include an artist talkback that will deepen audience connection and give artists a chance to speak on how they see the arts as a bridge to connection. By showcasing World Opera Day in a location defined by connection and exchange, this project frames opera as an inclusive art form that transcends boundaries and strengthens international community ties.

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This project addresses a critical community need for access to high-quality cultural programming that is inclusive, affordable, and reflective of our region’s international identity. Niagara Falls is a globally recognized destination, yet many local residents face economic barriers. About half of the population live in or near poverty in the City of Niagara Falls. There are little to no ticketed or free Opera performances in Niagara Falls, or even Niagara County. Additionally, there are limited opportunities for cross-border cultural exchange outside of tourism-driven spaces. Opera on the Border provides accessible arts engagement while fostering civic pride and international connection.

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Opera Guild of Rochester

Viva Voce: Technical Expenses for Publication of their e-magazine

Opera Guild of Rochester fulfills their mission of opera education and engagement through the publication 11 times/year of Viva Voce, their award-winning e-magazine.

Viva Voce (which will be supported by this grant) is written, edited, and managed by 3-6 dedicated volunteers who spend 20-25 hours/month getting each issue together. The content is focused mainly on upcoming local and regional opera events, making it a one-of-a-kind opera-only publication for their area. They routinely receive praise from their readers on its comprehensive nature, and a few years back executed a quantitative satisfaction survey in which we scored nearly a 5 out of 5. 

 

Each issue also features an in-depth article complementary to an upcoming Met Live in HD screening so that audiences may further understand the context of the opera, the composer's inspiration, and the setting of the opera in historical, economic and social perspectives. They may also include content from their local opera performance company, Finger Lakes Opera.

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Without Viva Voce, there would not be a vibrant, comprehensive and accessible vehicle to find out what's happening in the opera world of Rochester. The publication is free, removing any financial barriers to subscription.

The engagement of their technical resource has brought the publication to a higher level, incorporating contemporary best practices in graphic design and web user experience for their audience, which is, by and large, 65+.