Cavatina Chamber Music Trust

Cavatina Chamber Music Trust, a UK-registered charity founded in 1998 by Simon and Pamela Majaro, is dedicated to inspiring young people aged 8-25 through direct experiences of live chamber music, countering the decline in youth audiences for classical chamber music. Its mission advances musical education, promotes appreciation among children and youth, and relieves necessitous musicians, guided by values of accessibility, artistic excellence, inclusivity, and barrier removal for underserved communities. Distinctively, it has reached over 100,000 young people via strategic, high-impact programmes emphasizing formative exposure to foster lifelong engagement.

The Trust funds thematic priorities in youth musical education, live chamber music engagement, and support for emerging chamber musicians. Key programmes include school concerts by professional ensembles in deprived state schools, the Cavatina Ticket Scheme offering free or subsidised tickets at UK venues like Wigmore Hall and Cheltenham Festival, and scholarships/competitions such as the annual Intercollegiate Chamber Music Competition for conservatoire ensembles. It supports professional ensembles, concert promoters, and ad hoc projects like digital resources, focusing on interactive concerts, workshops, ticket subsidies, and modest event costs for young audiences across England, Wales, and Scotland.

Eligible applicants are limited to invited UK-registered charities and academic institutions (e.g., conservatoires, schools) based in the UK, with preference for small to medium-sized organisations in high-deprivation areas; unsolicited applications are not accepted. Grants are awarded on a rolling, invitation-only basis via trustee meetings, typically £500-£5,000 (up to £10,000 rarely), for project-specific costs without core funding.

Cavatina eschews general arts sponsorships, unrestricted support, or non-chamber music activities, standing out for its exclusive youth-chamber focus, venue-incentivising subsidy model, and efficient scaling of national impact from limited resources.