February, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Carmen Delgado, Communications Manager – carmen@elsistemausa.org
Major philanthropic gift aims to elevate summer music programming as field priority, to support 17 El Sistema USA organizations nationwide
Durham, NC – El Sistema USA® (ESUSA) is thrilled to announce a transformative $1 million gift from the Peter Compo and Carol Larson Gift Fund of Wilmington, Delaware, to advance summer programming across the El Sistema USA network. The gift will fund ESUSA’s new Summer Now! granting initiative in addition to supporting two El Sistema programs in the donors’ local community, reflecting the couple’s commitment to both grassroots impact and field-wide transformation.
Summer Now!, launching in March 2026, will catalyze summer music programming for children, regardless of their ability to pay, by addressing critical barriers facing music education and youth-facing organizations across the nation. The initiative will support 15 ESUSA member organizations to strengthen and advance youth music summer learning models over two consecutive summers, with each organization receiving $30,000 over two years to launch or strengthen its programming.
As recent studies by RAND and the After School Alliance show, summer represents a critical period for student development and wellbeing, providing safe and positive spaces for students outside of the school year, increasing access to opportunities, and supporting academic success (RAND and After School Alliance). Yet, music education nonprofits struggle with fundamental barriers, including transportation, funding, teacher availability, facility access, and comprehensive summer coverage.
Summer Now! pairs flexible funding with a learning-first approach, recognizing summer as a vital space for organizational growth, experimentation, and innovation. The initiative aims to generate shared learning across the field and elevate summer programming as a strategic priority through collaborative experimentation and knowledge-sharing. More details on the Summer Now! granting initiative will be announced in March 2026.
“We are deeply grateful to Peter and Carol for strengthening both El Sistema USA nationally and our members’ capacity to serve young musicians year-round,” shares Elizabeth Moulthrop, Executive Director of ESUSA. “Summer is when equity gaps widen and when consistent, high-quality programming matters most. Summer Now! will empower our member organizations to innovate, experiment, and learn together as they build sustainable summer models that deliver the holistic and community impact that is at the heart of El Sistema USA.”
Peter and Carol stress that, “despite the known benefits of summer programs for students to catch up, maintain, or gain new developmental experiences, organizations–large and small–struggle to solve the barriers to providing these positive opportunities. We need to find solutions to high costs, lack of political will, and the fact that relatively few organizations have the capability to run summer programs without partnerships.”
Peter and Carol view their contribution as a lead gift to catalyze broader philanthropic support for summer music programming. They hope other donors will join them in ensuring that more organizations can provide transformative music education and year-round youth development opportunities. You can donate to this initiative on the El Sistema USA website, or contact El Sistema USA at grants@elsistemausa.org.
About El Sistema USA
El Sistema USA (ESUSA) works to ensure every child has access to high-quality music education that celebrates their voice and potential by building a national network of member organizations and educators.
With 150 member programs serving 30,000 students, we support our network with staff development and training, research and data, student leadership programs, and advocacy for the field. Our model emphasizes high-quality music education, equity & access, and holistic impact.
We envision a world in which every child—regardless of income, geography, or identity—has access to a high-quality music education program that builds community, opportunity, and personal growth.