NEPA Philharmonic Celebrates Support From Scranton Area Community Foundation

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic is proud to celebrate its longstanding relationship with and deep appreciation for the Scranton Area Community Foundation, whose continued support has played a vital role in expanding the Philharmonic’s educational, cultural, and community-focused initiatives throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. Through the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the NEPA Philharmonic received multiple generous grants in 2025 that help to advance access to music and the arts for all ages across the community.

In early 2025, the Philharmonic was awarded a $4,000 Community Needs grant through the Fall 2024 grant cycle to support its mentoring program for talented high school students, providing young musicians with professional guidance from NEPA Philharmonic Musicians.

In Spring 2025, the Community Needs program also provided a $10,000 grant in support of the launch of RxArts NEPA, an innovative new initiative in development that will prescribe arts experiences to older adults across the region at risk of social isolation and loneliness. RxArts NEPA received additional support of $4,450 through a Women in Philanthropy grant from the Foundation, further strengthening the program’s future community impact.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation has also facilitated important grants for the NEPA Philharmonic’s programs from additional community partners, including the Robert H. Spitz Foundation and the Community Foundation of Monroe County.

The Robert H. Spitz Foundation awarded the Philharmonic a $12,000 grant through its Spring 2025 grant cycle to promote Jewish music and culture across the region. This grant provides underwriting support for Dreams & Klezmer, an upcoming chamber music performance, Sunday, February 22nd at 3pm at WVIA’s Sordoni Theatre in Pittston, that will explore rich Jewish musical and cultural traditions with clarinet and string quartet.

The Spitz Foundation grant also provides support toward free Angel Tickets for Philharmonic concerts for individuals in need, distributed through local Jewish community organizations, as well as a free public lecture on “Klezmer & Kabbalah” that happened in early February.

An additional grant of $4,800 administered through the Scranton Area Community Foundation from the Community Foundation of Monroe County’s Myra Kyle Fund for the Arts will enable the Philharmonic to expand its music education programs to libraries and schools across Monroe County later this spring.

These programs include Once Upon an Orchestra, pairing live music with story-time for children ages 2–6, as well as Music in Our Schools, introducing K-12 students to musical instruments and professional musicians. These Philharmonic programs aim to foster early musical engagement, imagination, and a lifelong connection to the arts.

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic looks forward to continuing this meaningful partnership with the Scranton Area Community Foundation and expanding its mission to serve the region through music, education and inclusive cultural experiences.

For tickets or more information on concerts and community programs, visit NEPAPHIL.org, or call the NEPA Philharmonic Box Office at (570) 270-4444.