Eugene Symphony Responds to National Endowment for the Arts Grant Terminations

May 6, 2025

The Eugene Symphony was one of numerous arts organizations nationwide that received sudden grant termination notices from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) late last week, following the administration’s announcement of proposed federal budget cuts and the elimination of the agency.

The Symphony had been awarded two NEA grants this fiscal year totaling $50,000: one supporting the March premiere of The Harmonies That Bind Us by pianist and composer Dan Tepfer, and the other supporting the upcoming Pacific Northwest premiere of Wynton Marsalis’s Swing Symphony and related residencies led by celebrated jazz pianist Darrell Grant.

“These sudden terminations are hitting arts organizations hard at a moment when many are already bracing for the post-pandemic fiscal cliff, following the temporary boost of relief funds that helped keep the sector afloat,” said Dave Moss, Executive Director of the Eugene Symphony, in a statement in The New York Times. “But this upheaval, unlike the pandemic, is entirely man-made, and just as we begin to recover from one challenge, we’re immediately thrust into another.”

NEA grants are structured as reimbursement grants, meaning the Eugene Symphony has already incurred substantial contracted expenses — including artist fees, travel, production, and community engagement costs — under the expectation that the NEA would cover a portion after the work was completed and documented. With these grants now canceled, the Symphony finds itself out of pocket for these costs, adding further to this year’s deficit spending and creating urgent financial pressure.

“The immediate hit is $50,000, but the larger and more troubling impact will be felt down the road,” Moss added. “Without outside support, we may be forced to cut future projects or community programs that provide access to music education, family concerts, and free public events — the very things that strengthen our region and serve people who otherwise wouldn’t experience live symphonic music.”

Despite this setback, the Eugene Symphony is moving forward with all planned programs, including this week’s Art Sparks Action event on Friday, May 9, at the Farmers Market Pavilion — a dynamic evening of music, conversation, and community, featuring Darrell Grant and other artists exploring the intersection of art and civic engagement.

The community can help sustain the Symphony’s mission by:

• Making a direct donation on this website

• Purchasing tickets to upcoming performances, including the May 22 Swing Symphony and May 31–June 1 Star Wars live-to-film concerts

• Contacting federal elected officials to advocate for continued arts funding and the preservation of agencies like the NEA

“Now more than ever, we are calling on our local community to help sustain the work we do,” said Moss. “Our mission to deliver transformative symphonic experiences for Greater Eugene continues, and we are determined to keep moving forward.”