[Boston, MA – February 14, 2018] National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $25 million in grants, including an Art Works grant of $45,000 to the Handel and Haydn Society for the 203rd season finale performances of George Frideric Handel’s Hercules and related community and education programming.
The Art Works category is the NEA’s largest funding category and supports projects focused on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and/or the strengthening of communities through the arts.
“It is energizing to see the impact that the arts are making throughout the United States. These NEA-supported projects, such as this one to the Handel and Haydn Society, are good examples of how the arts build stronger and more vibrant communities, improve well-being, prepare our children to succeed, and increase the quality of our lives,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu.
The grant will support H+H’s premiere of Hercules, described as “the crowning glory of Baroque musical drama” by musicologist Paul Henry Lang. The performances, May 4 and 6 at Symphony Hall, will be led by Artistic Director Harry Christophers.
“In addition to supporting the performance, the Art Works grant will enable us to undertake education and community engagement initiatives, deepening the audience’s understanding of Hercules and enhancing the overall concert experience,” said H+H President and CEO David Snead. “We are incredibly appreciative of the support of the NEA in helping us to bring Classical and Baroque music to life.”
For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
About the Handel and Haydn Society
Founded in Boston in 1815, H+H is the oldest continuously-performing arts organization in the United States, unique among American ensembles for its longevity, capacity for reinvention, and distinguished history of premieres. Internationally acclaimed for its performances of Baroque and Classical music, H+H’s Orchestra and Chorus delight more than 50,000 listeners each year with a 10-concert subscription series, in addition to a robust program of intimate events in museums, schools, and community centers. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Harry Christophers, the ensemble embraces historically informed performance, bringing classical music to life with the same immediacy it had the day it was written. For more information, visit handelandhaydn.org.