Legacy Program
NOTE: Only applicants who have received an invitation from the Fund may submit an application to this program. No other applications will be considered.
History
Aaron Copland is widely known today as a composer, conductor, pianist, writer, and educator, but his support of American music extended beyond his own work and lifetime. In his mid-20s, Copland was already championing the music of his peers and younger composers through organizing concerts, writing articles, and building relationships with the music service organizations that aimed to support them. By his 40s, he had played founding roles in the establishment of a music publishing company and a non-profit organization dedicated to American music, and continued pursuing opportunities and partnerships to further his work as a mentor and advocate for living composers throughout the rest of his life.
In keeping with his lifelong devotion to contemporary American music, Copland created what is now known as The Aaron Copland Fund for Music and bequeathed to it a large part of his estate. For over 30 years, the Fund has continued to champion the music to which Copland dedicated his life through support for organizations and projects advancing the art form today. As the field continues to change and grow, this program seeks to honor the deep connection between certain notable organizations and Aaron Copland himself.
The Program
The Legacy Program was created to recognize organizations with a long-standing commitment to contemporary American concert music, jazz, or both, a strong record of support from the Fund, and a shared history with Aaron Copland. Each year, organizations that meet these criteria will be identified by the Fund and invited to apply to this program. Organizations which receive funding through this program will not be considered eligible for any of the Fund’s other programs in the same funding year.
Invited organizations will be asked to submit an application to confirm continued eligibility for support. Applications will be reviewed by a panel comprised of members of the Fund’s Board of Directors. In order to ensure a fair review process, the Fund does not release the names of current or past panelists.
Legacy Organizations
American Academy in Rome
Established in 1897, the American Academy in Rome is a leading American overseas center for independent studies and advanced research in the fine arts and humanities. As part of his Fulbright Fellowship, Copland was in residence at the Academy in 1951. The Academy’s Rome Prize in musical composition has supported hundreds of composers since it was first awarded in 1921, and the Academy continues its support of contemporary American music today through fellowships, residencies, and concert programs. Learn more.
American Composers Alliance
The American Composers Alliance (ACA) was founded in 1937 by Copland and other American composers, including Marion Bauer, Elliott Carter, Marc Blitzstein, and Virgil Thomson. Originally established to increase the availability of members’ music and ensure composers were credited and compensated fairly for performances of their work, the ACA continues to support American music through preserving historical works, introducing new compositions, and developing innovative ways to increase awareness, performance opportunities, and public engagement with its growing catalog of over 12,000 works. Learn more.
Boston Symphony Orchestra (Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music)
The Tanglewood Music Center was founded in 1940 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s music director, Serge Koussevitzky. Copland was appointed Head of the Composition Department at the summer institute in that inaugural year and continued to teach at Tanglewood for nearly 25 years. In 1964, Tanglewood’s Festival of Contemporary Music was established with an exclusive focus on American composers. While the scope of the festival has broadened to include international composers, contemporary American music remains at the core of the festival’s annual programming. Learn more.
Copland House
Copland House was born out of a local community’s desire to preserve and restore Aaron Copland’s home in Cortlandt Manor, where he spent much of the last 30 years of his life. First opening in 1998, Copland House produces a wide range of programming in support of contemporary American music, from composer residencies and commissions to their touring resident Music from Copland House ensemble, and an annual performance series at their satellite venue in Mount Kisco. Learn more.
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
In 1925, Senator Simon Guggenheim and his wife, Olga, founded the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation in honor of their late son to add to the education, literary, artistic, and scientific power of the United States, and also to provide for the cause of better international understanding. Copland was the first Guggenheim Fellow in music composition, a connection that would go on to develop into a decades-long relationship between the foundation and the composer. The Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition has supported over 700 American composers in its hundred-year history and continues to build on this history of excellence today. Learn more.
Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress
Conductor Serge Koussevitzky, longtime Boston Symphony Orchestra music director and founder of Tanglewood, was an important mentor and champion of Copland and his music. In 1942, Koussevitzky established the Koussevitzky Music Foundation (KMF) in honor of his late wife, Natalie. Since its inception, KMF has commissioned over 400 new orchestral and chamber works, including Copland’s Third Symphony (1944-46) and the revised version of his Symphonic Ode (1927-29; rev. 1955), and continues to build on this legacy through its commissioning program. Learn more.
MacDowell
Founded in 1907 by Edward and Marian MacDowell on their farm property in Peterborough, New Hampshire, MacDowell is a residency program for artists in architecture, film/video, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts. Copland was a fellow 8 times between 1925-1956, was awarded the second Edward MacDowell Medal in 1961, and served as MacDowell’s president from 1962-1968. Since its founding, MacDowell has supported over 9,500 artists and continues to host around 300 artists annually. Learn more.
New Music USA
Copland was a co-founder of the American Music Center, established in 1939 as a score lending library and membership organization promoting the creation, performance, and appreciation of new American music. In 2011, the Center merged with Meet the Composer to become New Music USA. Today, New Music USA continues to build on the legacies of both organizations, championing American music and supporting the artists who create it. Learn more.
Yaddo
Yaddo was founded in 1900 by Spencer and Katrina Trask as an artists’ retreat in Saratoga Springs, New York. Copland was in residence at Yaddo in the early 1930s, working on pieces including Piano Variations, Statements, and Short Symphony, and in 1932, he co-founded the Yaddo Music Festival of contemporary American music, which ran for 20 years. Since first welcoming guests in 1926, Yaddo has supported nearly 7,000 artists across disciplines and continues to offer residencies to hundreds of artists each year. Learn more.