PROTESTRA is an orchestra of activist musicians who use classical music to protest injustice and advocate for social change. We believe that the concert stage is a powerful platform, and that every concert is an opportunity to make an impact, catalyze discussion, build community, and challenge ourselves to take on the issues facing our world.

As a startup nonprofit with an ambitious vision, we need you to help us GROW! Through our very first fundraiser, The GROWTE$TRA Campaign, we aim to raise $20,000 in 30 days.

If we meet our goal, we will hold two concerts in Spring and Summer 2021—our first in-person concerts since the pandemic began. But we need your financial support to make them happen! Your donation will help us perform repertoire by underrepresented composers, put important sociopolitical issues on center stage, and provide compensation to our wonderful musicians. 

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and a perfect opportunity to celebrate the contributions of the Asian community while also bringing awareness to recent and systemic issues they face.

Historically, members of the AAPI community have been an integral part of the classical music industry, but they have not been immune from the racism and colorism found within our field. Some of the most celebrated works in the European classical canon feature the appropriation of Asian musical idioms, yet repertoire written by composers who identify as AAPI is often overlooked. Moreover, the last year has seen a sharp rise in anti-Asian rhetoric and sentiment, as well as violence against Asian people in New York City and around the United States. As an organization dedicated to promoting equity and bringing visibility to social issues, our goal for this performance is to respond to these events and to center AAPI voices from within PROTESTRA and from our larger community base.

PROTESTRA aims to contextualize the music we present by including poetry readings, panel discussions, culturally informed program notes, and live hosting as part of our concerts. In past virtual concerts and social media initiatives, we have not only featured our members’ musical performances, but have also given them the opportunity to share their personal stories. This event will be much in the same vein, with performers sharing their experiences and musical programming that reflects the diversity of the Asian American and Pacific Islander diaspora.

This concert will cost us $5,000 to produce, most of which will be used to pay musicians, collaborators, and staff. We will also use this event to raise additional funds for local organizations that provide aid and safety networks to members of the NYC AAPI community.

Many beloved works of classical music were inspired by the beauty and grandeur of nature. Sadly, the world that inspired these idyllic pieces is being destroyed by human activity. In 2021, how can we perform this music in a vacuum and without acknowledging the grave climate crisis? Our Climate Action concert—to be held outdoors in Summer 2021—will feature a variety of works inspired by nature and humanity's relationship with it, including the litany of ways human activity has negatively impacted our planet.

Combating climate change will take all of us. We aim to reflect that collective spirit through the collaborative nature of this program, which will feature local chamber music organizations as well as a full orchestra of PROTESTRA musicians. Together, we will present a mixture of “classic hits'' about nature and contemporary works written about the planet and the effects of climate change. We hope this juxtaposition of musical snapshots will provide listeners with a more contextualized concert experience and inspire them to join us in pursuing a green and equitable future.

Our Climate Action concert will cost us $15,000 to produce. We will also use this event to educate our audience about the impact of climate change on our area, to recognize our shared responsibility to preserve the environment, and to raise funds for groups working to protect our Earth.

Our expenses will include: 

As you can see in the chart below, there’s a lot that goes into putting on an orchestral concert. Expenses add up quickly, especially because we want to prioritize paying our artists and staff.

Major orchestras are typically funded primarily by a handful of wealthy individuals, corporations, and large foundations. We believe today’s orchestras can and should be grassroots operations that are part of and supported by their community. We intend for PROTESTRA to be an orchestra for the 21st century, an orchestra by and for the people. Whether you have $1 or $1,000, PROTESTRA strives to represent everyone—in the composers we program, the artists we collaborate with, the issues we advocate for, and the audiences we serve.

PROTESTRA is fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, so all donations made through this campaign page are fully tax-deductible to the extent permissible by law. Fractured Atlas will provide you with all documentation of your charitable contribution. 

As a small token of our gratitude, donors who contribute $25 or more will receive a PROTESTRA sticker! Stick it on your instrument case, your laptop, or your car’s bumper, and show the world that you believe Taking a Stand Should Be the Standard! 

We are excited to put on these concerts, but we can’t do it without your help! It has been challenging to plan musical events this past year due to ever-changing COVID guidelines, but using our art to highlight issues of social justice is more important than ever. We are committed to holding events centered around these and other important issues, even if this requires us to remain flexible.

By contributing to this campaign, you can join us in uplifting musicians, advocating for important causes, and promoting diverse artistic voices on the concert stage. Thank you for your support—we look forward to growing together with you!