Dolce Suono Ensemble Wins Philadelphia Knight Arts Challenge 2013

Dolce Suono Ensemble is honored to have won the Philadelphia Knight Arts Challenge for our “Música en tus Manos” project, an outreach initiative which will bring chamber music to Philadelphia’s Latino community with an intensive and engaging array of events throughout the season. The Knight Arts Challenge, which funds innovative projects that engage and enrich urban communities, is an initiative of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The grant, $25,000 over two seasons, will provide the crucial support needed to make a deep and lasting impact on Philadelphia’s Spanish-speaking community. Please donate to help us match the funds dollar-for-dollar, furthering Dolce Suono Ensemble’s mission of enriching and informing people’s lives through chamber music. We will only receive the grant if and when we match the entire $25,000 within one year.

The Latino community of Philadelphia is sizeable – 12.6% of Philadelphia’s total population (2011 census) – but it is underserved by the city’s cultural organizations. “Música en tus Manos” is designed to fill this need in a unique, sustainable way. We will work closely with Spanish speakers of all ages to bring them the highest quality chamber music and music education at concerts, coachings, and a side-by-side performance. We will present Bach to Brazilian music, Jelly Roll Morton, Paquito D’Rivera, and celebrated guest composer Tania León. Our project will integrate Latinos in the music, giving them a platform to interact with the musicians and explore their own musical talents through interactive events. By putting music in their hands, each person will find his or her own musical voice.

“In Philadelphia, our hope is that everywhere you go, you have an encounter with art – to experience a moment of inspiration that brings people together and helps strengthen a sense of community. Dolce Suono Ensemble will help do that by using music to weave the arts into Philadelphia’s communities,” said Dennis Scholl, VP/arts at Knight Foundation.

Mimi Stillman, DSE Artistic Director, with Knight Arts Challenge after award ceremony at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Monday, April 29, 2013