Gateways Music Festival in association with Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester is pleased to announce that Gateways Music Festival has received a $1.2M grant from the New York City-based Bay & Paul Foundations.  The Bay & Paul Foundations, a Gateways supporter since 2019, was a lead sponsor of the Gateways Orchestra’s Carnegie Hall debut in April 2022.  The grant is the largest single grant in the Festival’s nearly 30-year history and will support ongoing and expanded programs along with other strategic initiatives, according to Gateways officials

“We are extremely grateful to the Bay & Paul Foundation. The grant is a testament to the hard work of countless Rochester-based volunteers over the years, the extraordinary musicianship and commitment of our Gateways musicians, and the vision of our founder Armenta Hummings Dumisani,” said Lee Koonce, Gateways’ President & Artistic Director.

The most recent Gateways Music Festival took place in April 2022 in both Rochester and New York City and featured seven days of performances, panel discussions, lectures, film showings and more before a live audience of nearly 7,000 and a live radio audience of more than 100,000.  The Festival culminated in a sold-out performance of the Gateways Orchestra at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, the first all-Black classical symphony orchestra presented by that esteemed venue in its 130-year history.

Marilyn Resnick, chair of the Foundations’ board of directors, said “This investment is made in recognition of Gateways’ singular historical role in the classical music realm, both within and outside the Black community.  We are confident that the new initiatives supported by this grant will enable Gateways to continue building on its rich history and more fully realize its vision of connecting and supporting professional classical musicians of African descent and enlightening and inspiring communities through the power of performance.”