Representation as Inclusion

Commissions contemporary composers to create new orchestral works and presents world premieres, such as Michael Torke’s composition performed at the opening of the 2026/2027 Philharmonics season.

Engages over 30,000 individuals annually through dedicated education programs, including classroom performances, school concerts, the orKIDStra series, and digital education resources viewed over 500,000 times. Programs serve students from pre-K through grade 6 and include curriculum-aligned musical experiences.

Co-sponsors and delivers the OPUS program, providing music education, mentorship, and live orchestral experiences to Rochester students, supported by $20,000 in city funding. Includes over 60 annual student engagements such as masterclasses, side-by-side performances, and guest artist visits.

Produces approximately 150 concerts and broadcasts annually, including ticketed events, free community concerts, and special performances such as film scores, holiday pops, Broadway tributes, and collaborations with renowned guest artists. These performances reach up to 170,000 people across Rochester and surrounding areas.

Offers community-centered initiatives such as the Around the Town concert series and Care & Wellness engagements, designed to connect diverse and multigenerational audiences through music in accessible settings.

Co-presents an annual adult summer intensive program focused on concert repertoire by composers of African American, African, and African Diaspora heritage, engaging participants through performance and scholarship.

Formed an Artistic Advisory Council composed of distinguished artists to guide and support the foundation’s mission and programming.

Supports scholarly work through the Classic Song Research Initiative and funds the creation, editing, and publication of content by scholars and professionals as part of its song projects.

Organizes and hosts public educational events including interactive lectures, symposia such as "Song as Citizenship," and master classes with Thomas Hampson on musicality and expressiveness, made available via live-streaming and archived as online resources.

Provides free, publicly accessible digital repositories and interactive online resources through HampsongFoundation.org and SongofAmerica.net, hosting multimedia materials such as concert programs, song texts and translations, essays, educational content, historic images, audio and video recordings, and radio programs related to classic song and its cultural contexts.

Runs the annual Heidelberg Lied Academy during the Heidelberger Frühling Festival and Liedfestival, bringing together emerging singers and prominent artists for intensive study and performance of classical song, with daily classes, workshops, and lectures focused on text-based interpretation.

Produces large-scale music and education projects including the Song of America radio series, Singers on Singing, and audio recordings; distributes content via live-streaming, radio broadcasts on over 300 U.S. stations and European Broadcasting Union members, and free online streaming.

Funds the Hampsong Education Fellowship in American Song and supports the Thomas Hampson Fund of the American Musicological Society, which awards annual grants for research and education in American song.

Funds the German translation and international distribution of the "Song of America" radio series and maintains ASCAP and BMI music licenses to enable public access to music across its digital and broadcast platforms.

Commissions and produces new musical works from composers worldwide, with over 200 premieres to date. The organization supports the development of these works from conception through performance, including large-scale and multimedia productions.

Holds educational and performance residencies at universities across the U.S., including Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, University of Chicago, and CUNY, supporting student composers and performers through workshops, readings, and performances.

Provides educational programs and workshops in schools and universities to foster creativity, music appreciation, and engagement with contemporary music. These include customized residencies, masterclasses, instrumentation and improvisation workshops, and side-by-side performances with students. Programs have reached hundreds of students across K–12 and higher education institutions.

Creates and presents interactive sound installations, such as a Tropicália-inspired work featured in the 2017 exhibition Vamos Comer in Rio de Janeiro, blending music with visual and conceptual art.