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Music Performance Trust Fund
New York, NY · EIN 136295168 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A120 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M) · musicpf.org
revenue
$6.0M
expenses
$5.8M
net assets
$11.0M
employees
6
volunteers
4
program ratio
92%
mission · from form 990

TO PROVIDE LIVE FREE CONCERTS TO THE PUBLIC WITHIN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

profile · synthesized from sources

The Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) is a nonprofit organization that funds free live music performances across the United States and Canada. It supports concerts in public spaces, schools, and community events, featuring diverse genres including jazz, classical, Broadway, and world music. The MPTF is funded by royalties from major record labels and works through American Federation of Musicians locals to deliver thousands of performances annually, with a focus on public access, education, and cultural enrichment.

named programs · 6 · from sources

What they call their work

Black History Month Concerts
Supports over 300 free performances each February highlighting Black composers, performers, and musical traditions through union locals of the American Federation of Musicians
Community Concerts
Sponsors free live music in public spaces such as parks, shopping malls, veterans’ hospitals, and nursing homes, featuring diverse musical genres and professional musicians
Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM)
Annual April initiative funding hundreds of free live jazz performances in schools, libraries, and community centers across the U.S. and Canada, in partnership with the Smithsonian and American Federation of Musicians
Juneteenth and Emancipation Day Celebrations
Funds free live music events on June 19 (Juneteenth) and August 1 (Emancipation Day in Canada) to commemorate the end of slavery, with over 100 performances in 2023 across North America
Make Music Day
Partners with Make Music Alliance to fund dozens of free public music events on June 21, including workshops and performances in parks and public spaces across the U.S.
Music in Schools
Provides funding for free live musical performances in K-12 schools, with emphasis on educational enrichment and student engagement with professional musicians
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Benefit Events for Arts and Culture 3 activities
    • Funding MusicianFest performances at senior care facilities
      Finances live solo musician performances at senior centers, assisted living facilities, and hospitals across North America through the MusicianFest initiative. Hosted a record 1,459 performances in the 2023–24 fiscal year and has supported over 5,000 performances to date, paying over 5,000 professional musicians.
    • Funding free live musical performances in public spaces
      Finances thousands of admission-free live music events annually in parks, public spaces, and community venues across the United States and Canada, often in partnership with local organizations and the American Federation of Musicians. Supported over 2,000 events in the 2018–19 fiscal year and organizes performances in over 100 markets.
    • Supporting citywide music festivals and programs
      Funds large-scale music festivals and citywide programs such as Make Music Day, supporting 51 U.S. programs in 2023 with diverse offerings including songwriting workshops and West African drumming sessions, and backing major events like the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans.
  • Performing Arts Production Support 2 activities
    • Co-funding special cultural initiatives and tours
      Provides financial support for special music-related events and tours that serve broader cultural or civic recovery goals, such as co-funding a Broadway tour after 9/11 that visited 14 cities in 16 days and sponsoring concerts tied to Louis Armstrong’s 100th birthday.
    • Providing matching grants for community music events
      Awards 50/50 matching funds to local partners such as municipalities, arts councils, school systems, and parks departments to co-sponsor free live music events. Also awarded a matching grant to Young Audiences Arts for Learning.
  • Artist Support Grants 1 activity
    • Funding live streamed musical performances
      Provides funding for live streamed concerts, particularly during periods of restricted in-person gatherings. Sponsored over 1,500 livestreamed events to date, including over 750 launched in the fiscal year ending April 2021 and ongoing annual support for over 200 livestream concerts.
  • Arts Education Scholarships 1 activity
    • Funding school-based music programs
      Supports live musical performances in schools through partnerships with union locals and arts organizations, prioritizing educational enrichment and student engagement with professional musicians. Funded 616 school program performances and committed over $845,000 in the 2023–24 fiscal year.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$5.97M
Contributions & grants$38K1%
Program service revenue$5.66M95%
Investment income$280K5%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$5.82M
Program expenses92%
Admin / overhead8%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$962K
Grants paid out$179K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$11.02M
Cash$3.29M
Investments$7.73M
Liabilities$0
Net assets$11.02M
Liquid reserves22.7 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +0.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 4
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Daniel J Beck TRUSTEE 40 $260K
ALBURN H ELVIN DIRECTOR OF FINANCE 40 $192K
Samantha Ramos Director, Grant Management 40 $167K
VIDREY BLACKBURN Senior Director, Grant Management 40 $148K
board members · 4
  • Andrea Finkelstein — Co-Chair
  • James Harrington — Co-Chair
  • Robert W Johnson — TRUSTEE
  • Tracie Parry — TRUSTEE
relationships · 46

Who they work with

  • AFM’s Local 77 Partner — Collaborated with MPTF on test performances in May 2020 to develop live stream programming.
  • American Federation of Musicians Government — Co-negotiated the original collective bargaining agreement that established the Music Performance Trust Fund.
  • American Federation of Musicians Partner — Collaborated with MPTF to connect local musicians with senior centers for MusicianFest performances.
  • American Federation of Musicians Partner — Collaborates with MPTF to organize live music events in over 100 North American markets.
  • American Federation of Musicians Partner — Collaborates with the AFM through union locals to deliver music programs in schools and other venues.
  • American Federation of Musicians Partner — Collaborates with union locals to organize and deliver free live music performances for national programs.
  • American Federation of Musicians Local 174-496 Partner — Collaborates with MPTF to bring live music to public venues in New Orleans.
  • Austin Jazz Workshop Partner — Funded 130 school performances and 20 public events during the Austin Jazz Workshop season.
  • Avalon High School Partner — Enabled a concert for at-risk students with limited access to live music.
  • Broadway League Partner — Partnered with MPTF to fund musicians for a Juneteenth live music event honoring Black Broadway performers.
  • Broadway League Partner — Partners with MPTF to present admission-free live musical events.
  • Children’s Creative Workshop Partner — Partners with MPTF to present admission-free live musical events.
  • FabCollab Partner — Co-sponsored the March Women in Song Festival in Toronto with MPTF
  • French Quarter Festival Partner — Longstanding partner organization in producing free public music performances in New Orleans.
  • French Quarter Festival Partner — Partners with MPTF to present admission-free live musical events.
  • Goodwill Industries Partner — Partners with MPTF to present admission-free live musical events.
  • Intersection for the Arts Partner — Supported Jazz in the Neighborhood program.
  • Local Union Offices Partner — Local union officers confirm performances by submitting affidavit forms and serve as intermediaries for MPTF's grant distribution process.
  • Los Angeles Opera Partner — Funded a free dress rehearsal of Lucia di Lammermoor for seniors and high school students.
  • Make Music Partner — Partner in supporting free, informal public music performances on Make Music Day
  • Make Music Alliance Partner — Supported Make Music Day initiatives across the U.S., including 51 programs in 2023.
  • National Veterans Creative Arts Festival Partner — Contributed to the success of the 2013 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival.
  • New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic Partner — Partners with MPTF and AFM Local 174-496 to support music programming in the New Orleans community.
  • Oakland East Bay Symphony Partner — Supported free Young People’s Concerts attended by nearly 5,000 school children.
  • Orchestra of St. Luke's Partner — Funded free concerts and educational programs for NYC school children, including the Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s.
  • Recording Academy Partner — Partners with MPTF to present admission-free live musical events.
  • Riverfront Recapture Partner — Supported a festival that highlighted Latino cultural talent in the Greater Hartford area.
  • Satchmo Festival Partner — Supports this admission-free festival produced by the French Quarter Festival organization.
  • Satchmo Summerfest Partner — Partner in producing an annual admission-free jazz festival in New Orleans honoring Louis Armstrong
  • Save the Music Partner — Collaborates to bring live symphony performances into school districts to support music education
+ 16 more
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Arts for Health and Well-Being in Care Settings
    methodology: arts-in-senior-care
    By providing live musical performances in senior care facilities, hospitals, and assisted living centers, the organization improves quality of life for older adults and patients, because music reduces isolation, elevates mood, and provides meaningful aesthetic experiences in clinical and residential environments.
  • Culture as Healing and Social Cohesion
    methodology: culture-as-healing
    By presenting free, live music events in communities, the organization fosters social unity and emotional healing, because shared cultural experiences reduce isolation, combat division, and strengthen collective identity during times of hardship.
  • Free Live Music as a Public Good
    methodology: free_public_access
    By funding and producing free live musical performances accessible to all, the organization increases public access to the arts, because removing cost and logistical barriers enables broader audience participation and engagement with music as a shared civic experience.
  • Music Education Through Live Performance
    methodology: arts-in-education
    By bringing professional musicians into schools and educational settings through live performances, the organization enhances student engagement with music, because direct exposure to diverse musical genres and artists sparks discovery, learning, and long-term interest in the arts.
  • Supporting Musicians to Sustain Cultural Ecosystems
    methodology: culture_preservation_and_musician_support
    By funding employment opportunities for professional musicians through live public performances, the organization preserves regional musical traditions and strengthens cultural continuity, because artist sustainability ensures intergenerational transmission of musical heritage and maintains vibrant local arts ecosystems.