COMMUNITY IMPACT PROJECT INCUBATOR

Community Impact Project Incubator is a vital pillar of CAG’s Citizen Musician Training. Through it, artists explore new ways to create positive community impact beyond the concert stage.

In this series of workshops, CAG roster musicians:

  • Identify community needs

  • Transform these needs into projects

  • Pitch to fund their project

  • Launch their project

  • Network for social impact

After completing the training’s workshops, participants apply the knowledge and skills acquired through to write and pitch an implementation plan for a high-impact artistic project before a panel of experts.

2025 Shark Tank pitch winner, bassoonist Eleni Katz

INNOVATION PRIZE

Cohort members who excel in the learning process will have access to the following prizes:

  • Participation in the Chamber Music Shark Tank at Chamber Music America’s national conference

    • 2025 Shark Tank pitch winner, bassoonist Eleni Katz

      • Project: Reed Me —a collaboration with rural schools to provide reeds, equipment, and mentorship to beginning bassoonists

  • Personalized mentorships

  • $5,000 Weissberg Prize for project implementation

    • 2025 winner, pianist Wynona Wang

      • Project: Bridges of Sound — a series of concert and community engagement experiences tailored to help mitigate the effects of social isolation on NYC’s immigrants

    • 2024 winner, conductor Kyle Dickson

      • Project: MUSIC REPRESENTS — a live concert experience featuring a dynamic, newly commissioned work for chamber ensemble and narrator celebrating the captivating stories of influential black composers. 

Meet the 2026 Cohort

“Through the Community Impact Project Incubator, I’ve been able to expand my vision of my potential, enhance the impact of my coaching business, and evolve my sense of interconnectivity. I’m very grateful for this unique and highly-valuable training!”

– Adam W. Sadberry, CAG Artist

Program Faculty

Jessica Phillips
Faculty Co-Lead
Metropolitan Opera
The Juilliard School

Drew A. Forde
Violist
Entrepreneur

Stanford Thompson
Equity Arc
Executive Director

Monica Ellis
Imani Winds
Manhattan School of Music

Michael McRay
Author
Storytelling Coach

Toyin Spellman-Díaz
Imani Winds
Mannes

Felipe Orduz
GLI
Entrepreneurship Coach

Tom Cabaniss
The Juilliard School

Janet Fischer
Live Music Now (UK)
CEO

– Jessica Phillips, alumna of the MBA program at the Global Leaders Institute and Clarinetist the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

"As an alumna of the MBA program at the Global Leaders Institute and a musician at the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, it is a privilege to work with my alma mater to design a bespoke and relevant curriculum in partnership with the Concert Artist Guild. These artists are already making an impact in the music world, and during these learning modules, it's a pleasure to help enhance their entrepreneurial skills, empowering them to lead dynamic, innovative careers and create lasting social impact in their communities."

Thank you to the inaugural CMA Shark Tank panel for invaluable feedback:

Kevin Kwan Loucks,Chamber Music America, CEO
Danielle Hahn, Head of Music Programs, National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC
Andrew Lane, Vice President of Touring and Artist Management, Curtis Institute of Music

Thank you to the illustrious panel who listened to the artists’ project pitches and offered crucial feedback:

Pedja Mužijević, Artistic Administrator Baryshnikov Arts Center, Artistic Advisor Tippet Rise Arts Center
Tom Novak, Director of Artistic Planning Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Eric Oberstein, Managing Director Harlem Stage
Katelyn Simone, Writer, Fundraiser, Consultant Katelyn Simone Copywriting
Lisa Williams, Managing Director Goldman Sachs, Strategy Investment
Ed Yim, Chief Content Officer and Senior Vice President WQXR 
Nathaniel Zeisler, Provost, The Colburn School