MSO Receives Mississippi Arts Commission Grant FY2025
JACKSON, MISS. –Aug. 1, 2024 – Mississippi Symphony Orchestra based in Jackson has been awarded a $24,600 two-year operational grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission. This grant is a portion of the more than $1.7 million in grants MAC awarded in Fiscal Year 2025.
As the state’s largest performing arts organization, MSO reaches 75,000 people and influences the lives of 13,000 students each year through its five music education programs. MSO is uniquely able to travel to Miss. communities in addition to concerts around the capital city. This year it celebrates 80 years of positive influence on the state’s culture and communities.
“MAC’s grant allows us to nurture musicians around the world, from beginners to young professionals and beyond. Our public-school education programs introduce instruments to students while our youth orchestra supports their musical growth through high school. The performing and educational experiences offered by our Premier Orchestral Institute draw students and musicians from more than 14 countries. The arc of our engagement comes full circle by attracting talented musicians from all over the U.S. to live and perform in Miss.,” said Jenny Mann, MSO president and executive director.
“Mississippi is synonymous with the quality of art that emits from our state. The arts enhance the quality of life and local economies,” said David Lewis, executive director for the Mississippi Arts Commission. “With the generous support from the Mississippi Legislature, we can activate our citizens’ innate creativity and invest in our communities.”
MAC’s annual grant funds come from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mississippi State Legislature. Awards were made in 92 Mississippi House of Representatives districts and 52 state Senate districts.
The Mississippi Arts Commission is a state agency serving more than two million people through grants and special initiatives that enhance communities, assist artists and arts organizations, promote arts education, and celebrate Mississippi’s cultural heritage. MAC is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation for Mississippi, and other private sources. For more information, visit www.arts.ms.gov.