Papitto Opportunity Connection Partnership

The RI Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School’s mission is to enrich and transform Rhode Island and our region through great live symphonic performances and music education. To further this mission, we offer concerts and education programs of exceptional quality that are relevant and accessible to all. We have worked for many years to use music as a tool to combat the effects of systemic and historic racism. Thanks to our ongoing partnership with the Papitto Opportunity Connection (POC), our efforts are taking a huge step forward.

With major funding from the POC, and continued support from existing funders, the RI Phil has increased its funding for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to more than 22% of its budget. These funds have allowed us to make a difference in a number of ways:

1. By improving access to music education for children of color, and to partner with Brown University on an independent, 4-year study of the impact such access has on their musical, academic, and social-emotional growth
   
   
2. By launching an ambitious fellowship that provides emerging talents with a tuition-free graduate performance degree from Boston University, as well as professional performance experience with the RI Phil and professional Teaching Artist experience at the Music School and in our community programs
   
   
3. By being more representative of the communities we serve through diversifying the repertoire we perform and the artists who perform it
   
   
4. By making our performances accessible to more communities through streaming, neighborhood concerts, and a state-of-the-art mobile cyber-screen

Together with POC, we are employing best practices and establishing new modes to ensure that every child in our community has access to a music education, every child and adult can access inspiring symphonic performances, and every person feels represented on our stages and served by our school.