2020 Education Fund Grant Recipients
The Classical Station Awards over $10,000 in Grants During Tenth Anniversary
Five Musical Non-profits Receive Grants for 2020-2021 Season
WAKE FOREST, NC (July 15, 2020) – Five musical education non-profits in North Carolina are being awarded grants totaling $10,300 during the Tenth Anniversary of The Classical Station’s (WCPE) Education Fund which will support music lessons, beginning strings programs, and scholarships. Award recipients are accepting their grants virtually in a very special online ceremony.
This year’s grant recipient organizations are:
- Musical Empowerment
- North Carolina Chamber Music Institute
- Community Music School
- Wake Forest Community Youth Orchestra
- Greensboro Symphony Orchestra
Each of these organizations is dedicated to helping children experience the joy of music by providing accessible, affordable lessons and meaningful performance opportunities. All of this is made possible by listeners of The Classical Station who set aside ten percent of their gift to fund musical education in our communities.
The Classical Station began broadcasting as WCPE, a small “mom and pop” station in 1978. More than forty years later it has grown to be an international broadcaster, with its home in Wake Forest, North Carolina and a listenership that extends worldwide. The Education Fund was founded to empower musical non-profits to share a love and appreciation of music with the community, and to continue the vision of The Classical Station’s founder, Deborah Proctor, to make classical musical available to all.
Dan McHugh, chair of the Education Fund and Membership Director at WCPE, The Classical Station, said “I am so excited for all of the organizations because this money will help them to continue offering music lessons to students in need. Many of these organizations are switching to virtual lessons, which is so important when schools are closed. Thanks to all of the members of The Classical Station who support the Education Fund and to my fellow committee members for making this all possible.”
For more information about this year’s grants and organizations, please visit TheClassicalStation.org/membership/education-fund/.
The Education Fund has awarded nearly $100,000 in grants since it began in 2010.
About the WCPE Education Fund
The Education Fund has been growing strong since 2011, allowing us the ability to support a variety of nonprofit organizations that provide musical education via direct instruction or education-based performances. For the 2019-20 season, grants awarded totaled $12,500—nearly $4,000 more than in 2018! Thanks to all our members who designated ten percent of their donations to support music education.
Since 2011, over twenty diverse music nonprofit organizations have been awarded funds to assist with their programs, and no two are alike. Our goal is to assist these organizations as they help others experience the joy of music—by providing accessible, affordable lessons and meaningful performance opportunities.

WCPE String Quartet
If you have any questions about the application or the process, please contact me at 800-556-5178 or by e-mailing me.
Thank you for your impact on local music and musicians!
Dan McHugh
Education Fund Chair and WCPE Membership Director
Above photos courtesy of the North Carolina Chamber Music Institute