Grant to help fund new S.C. Philharmonic middle school program

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The South Carolina Philharmonic will use grants totaling more than $121,000 from the South Carolina Arts Commission to support its next three seasons and to fund a new music education program debuting in Richland County School District One this year. 

A general operating support grant of $37,013 awarded annually will help with production costs and day-to-day operations, while a $10,000 arts education project grant will help establish Phil the Music, according to a news release. 

"Both the general operating support and education grants will enable us to present concerts and programs to those who might otherwise never have the chance to experience live symphonic music," Rhonda Hunsinger, executive director of the S.C. Philharmonic, said in the release. "We are especially thankful to the Arts Commission for their ongoing support, especially with the challenges we have faced because of the pandemic."

The general operating support grant provides three years of unrestricted funding for established arts organizations. In the 2021-22 season, the S.C. Philharmonic will produce six concerts at the Koger Center for the Arts, beginning Oct. 9 with Mendelssohn's "Scottish" Symphony and including its popular Beethoven and Blue Jeans series on Jan. 15, 2022. 

Phil the Music will partner with middle school music classes to provide complimentary audiovisual recordings of the S.C. Philharmonic and virtual interactions with musicians, composers and music director Morihiko Nakahara. The program, created during the COVID-19 pandemic, was specifically designed to offer students a safe and creative environment in which to learn about music, according to the release.