Princeton Festival, Princeton Symphony Orchestra Receive Federal Grants

U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) on Tuesday announced federal grants to two Princeton arts organizations through the National Endowment for the Arts totaling $32,500. 

The grants will support The Princeton Festival and The Princeton Symphony Orchestra.

“The arts and humanities play a crucial role in our society:  they enhance our creativity, promote education, and provide New Jerseyans with the opportunity to view works of beauty and personal expression,” Holt said.  “These federal funds, combined with private funding sources, will contribute to making New Jersey a better place to live and work.”

The Princeton Festival will receive $17,500 to support performances of Richard Wagner’s opera Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman), bringing the performance to the area for the first time.

The Princeton Symphony Orchestra will receive $15,000 to support concert performances of Derek Bermel’s The Migration Series.  

Melanie Clark, the PSO's executive director, saidThe Migration Series is inspired by Jacob Lawrence’s paintings depicting the early 20th century’s migration of African Americans to the north.  

“A central goal of the project is to engage the African American communities of the greater Princeton area in commemorating a significant event in African American history through art and music, and to deepen the wider community’s understanding of the history and culture of blacks in America," Clarke said.