The New Music Creator Fund offers grants to individual music creators working in any genre who need support to reach the next stage of their creative practice. The program supports costs related to the creation of new work and new projects developed in collaboration with other artists and practitioners. Examples of costs supported through the fund include (but are not limited to) performer/collaborator fees, project-specific equipment, joint R&D and workshopping of new project ideas, and other essential costs such as childcare for yourself or a collaborating artist.
Eligibility
- The 2026 cycle is open to music creators based in the Midwest, Northeast/Mid-Atlantic, and New York.
- Students are not eligible for the New Music Creator Fund, with the exception of PhD/DMA candidates who have completed coursework and are considered ABD (All But Dissertation). ABD candidates are eligible to apply.
- Applicants must be at least 21 years of age.
- Applicants must have a minimum of 3 years of experience as a professional musician. We define professional musicians as those who have received public performances of their work or who regularly perform music publicly. In both cases we would expect you to have received financial compensation for at least some of your work.
New for 2026
Applicants are invited to indicate their interest in being considered for the Thea Musgrave Performer-Composer Collaboration Grant, an annual award of $10,000 that is awarded through the Creator Fund. Made possible through the generosity of the esteemed composer Thea Musgrave and her husband, Peter Mark, the grant provides funding to a composer and performer(s) for the creation of new work and the collaboration required to bring it to fruition. This is an endowed grant that will be offered every year.
Applicants who apply for the Musgrave grant and are not selected will automatically be added to the regular Creator Fund application pool. Please note that the average Creator Fund grant is $3,000, with awards made up to $5,000.