HOME | PROGRAMS - Arts Leadership | Sphinx Venture Fund
Sphinx Venture Fund
Empowering Transformative Change
Sphinx has committed to investing $1.5 million over the past five years to transform the future of cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts through the Sphinx Venture Fund (SVF). Through competitive grants, SVF catalyzes initiatives designed to solve a challenge or an issue related to DE&I in the sphere of the performing arts, with an emphasis on classical music.
SVF aims to fund highly impactful programs affecting extensive and measurable positive change. A small number of proposals are selected each year with an average grant size of $50,000 – $100,000. After consultation with a national advisory group and the Strategic Advisor, all final determinations of the SVF are made by Sphinx President and Artistic Director Afa S. Dworkin.
Eligible ventures will be significant in impact and executed in collaboration with or on behalf of an existing 501(c)(3) organization. Initiatives with senior artistic and administrative leadership that represents the communities impacted are strongly encouraged.
________________
Jake Lane, Director of Leadership Programs
Aaron P. Dworkin, Strategic Advisor
Application Information
Applications for Sphinx Venture Fund are processed through our online Acceptd portal.
Applicants are encouraged to reach out with any questions and/or to seek feedback regarding the viability of their proposed application: SVF@SphinxMusic.org.
2024 Sphinx Venture Fund Recipient
The Ebony Music Project
The Ebony Music Project, an initiative of Ebony Music Inc., aims to create a free, graded database of recorded piano works by Black composers, performed by internationally renowned Black pianists. This transformative initiative will expand on its existing catalog of over 1200 piano works by Black composers and provide scholarly resources, including manuscripts of piano music by Black composers, for educators, students, and performers.
Impact:
Recordings of 150 piano works by Black composers, performed by renowned Black pianists, will be funded and added to a graded catalog.
A national call for Black composers to write 30 pieces (for beginning, intermediate, and advanced pianists) which will also be recorded.
Over 1,000 piano works by Black composers will be added to the current online catalog.
Mentorship opportunities for emerging Black pianists will be created (including a submission process to have their recordings of piano music by Black composers featured in our database)
Learn more:
The Sphinx Venture Fund is made possible through the generous support of:
