About Colburn Foundation
The Colburn Foundation is a Los Angeles–based funder singularly focused on supporting classical performing arts institutions, concentrating its resources on high-profile local music organizations. Its grants overwhelmingly support music education and performance, with particularly deep investment in The Colburn School alongside major performing ensembles. The foundation’s giving underscores a commitment to sustaining classical music infrastructure and training in the Los Angeles region.
Focus Areas
Classical music conservatory education (The Colburn School)Orchestral performance and institutional support (Los Angeles Philharmonic)Opera production and company support (Los Angeles Opera)Local Los Angeles performing arts ecosystem strengthening
Who They Fund
classical musicians and performersperforming arts organizations (orchestras, opera companies, conservatories)general audience of classical arts / community audiences
Giving Approach
About Colburn Foundation
Colburn Foundation’s giving is built around a single field: classical music institutions in Los Angeles. Its largest recent grant, $4,390,473 in 2025 to The Colburn School, shows how heavily the foundation backs conservatory education and classical arts infrastructure. The same pattern appears across its support for major local organizations that present, train, and sustain classical performance, including the Los Angeles Opera Company and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. The foundation’s grantmaking is concentrated on organizations rather than individuals, and its stated program areas cover classical music performance, presentation, education, training of classical musicians, and scholarship support for educational institutions. Recent awards also show attention to the broader Los Angeles classical ecosystem, with support for ensembles, chorales, chamber groups, university music programs, and music schools. A 2025 grant of $107,500 to Kusc and a 2025 grant of $115,000 to UCLA Foundation illustrate that its giving reaches both media and higher-education partners that serve classical music audiences and students. Across the record, the foundation’s role is best understood as sustaining the institutions that anchor classical music training and performance in the region.
What Colburn Foundation Funds
Education is central to the foundation’s portfolio. In 2023, it gave $4,030,000 to The Colburn School for support of the classical arts, and in 2025 it added $155,000 to USC Thornton School of Music for the same purpose. Opera and orchestral performance are also core. The 2025 grant of $982,500 to Los Angeles Opera Company supported the classical arts, while the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association received $772,500 in 2025 after a $915,000 grant in 2023. The foundation also backs smaller ensemble and presenter organizations that broaden the local classical field. Recent awards include $274,500 to Musica Angelica and $321,000 to Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Society in 2025, both described as support of the classical arts. University and school-based programs appear alongside these presenting organizations, with grants to UCLA Foundation, Cal State University-Northridge, and Idyllwild Arts Foundation.
How Colburn Foundation Gives
Colburn Foundation’s typical grant size sits at $8,875 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $40,000 at the 75th percentile, even though its largest awards are much larger. The grant record shows repeated support to the same organizations over multiple years, including The Colburn School, Los Angeles Opera Company, and Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. That pattern points to sustained institutional funding rather than isolated project-only gifts. The foundation is organized around general grants to classical music organizations and says it provides unrestricted and restricted support, with occasional multi-year grants. It does not fund individuals or accept unsolicited applications.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$21.9M
Total Assets
$204.4M
Total Revenue
$19.4M
Total Expenses
$24M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $9K and $40K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$40K
Geographic Reach
Local6 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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