The Love Always Foundation has awarded $100,000 to the Wisconsin Public Radio Association for WPR to expand its Classical Music Day initiative that began in Milwaukee into a statewide performing arts and arts education initiative that amplifies student voices to audiences throughout Wisconsin.
Funding from the Love Always Foundation grant will allow each WPR regional bureau – in Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Eau Claire, Superior, and Wausau – to join Milwaukee in hosting a Classical Music Day event in partnership with local educators and arts organizations to celebrate the next generation of musical artists from communities all over Wisconsin.
All Classical Music Day events will be free and open to the public, ensuring that cost is not a barrier for students, families, or community members while expanding community access to high-quality performing arts experiences in geographically dispersed communities. Each regional event will be developed in collaboration with educators, arts organizations and community groups, ensuring that programming reflects the uniqueness of local arts communities and strengthens existing arts ecosystems by bringing together student performers, families, educators and community members in shared public spaces.
Originally developed in Milwaukee, Classical Music Day is a collaborative program that engages youth and communities through live music, public engagement and cultural learning by bringing together student musicians from schools, youth ensembles and community organizations to perform in professional concert settings. Middle and high school students will be invited to attend a pre-performance presentation by an artist from PBS Wisconsin Education’s “Re/sound: Songs of Wisconsin” multimedia collection to explore the state’s diverse musical traditions through artist stories and curriculum-aligned resources. Take-home educational materials will also be provided to deepen understanding of how music reflects cultural identity, history and community experience.
WPR will also provide transportation stipends and reserved seating for school groups and youth-serving organizations. Travel stipends will be provided to student performers and partner organizations to ensure that youth from a wide range of communities can participate, regardless of distance or available resources. Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin are services of UW-Madison’s Wisconsin Public Media division and the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. Together, they serve communities statewide through trusted journalism, educational programming, and Wisconsin storytelling – on air, online, and in person through live events, freely accessible to all, and powered by community support. wpr.org
