PHOTO PROVIDED Attending the grant presentation from left to right are:  Shane Nickerson, Tioga County commissioner;  Amanda Lavan, America250PA administrative manager; Sam VanLoon, Tioga County commissioner; Bill Hebe, EMMF CEO; Kim Johns, District Aide to Rep. Clint Owlett, R-Liberty; Cynthia Long, EMMF executive director;  Deb Rudy, field representative for state Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township; and Marc Rice, Tioga County commissioner.

The Endless Mountain Music Festival was recently awarded a $20,000 grant from America250PA’s first Semiquincentennial Grant Round for the festival’s America’s 250th Birthday Celebration concert.

This funding enables the Endless Mountain Music Festival to commemorate America’s birthday in 2026 with the commissioning of a musical work to be composed by world-renowned pianist Daniel Perttu. The composition will then be performed by internationally acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Biegel, in combination with the Endless Mountain Music Festival Orchestra, at the 2026 summer festival.

“We are so excited to contribute to Pennsylvania’s celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence and engaging as many of our neighbors as possible,” Cindy Long, Endless Mountain Music Festival executive director, said, according to a news release. “This commemorative celebration will not only provide our audience with a spectacular concert, but the world-premiere event will cap Pennsylvania’s semiquincentennial birthday in a remarkable and meaningful way.”

“America250PA hopes to engage Pennsylvanians, from all of our 67 counties, to participate in creating a statewide celebration and bringing the Commonwealth’s history into the conversation,” said Cassandra Coleman, America250PA executive director, according to the news release. “We strive to connect neighbors through the stories of our past, fostering pride in our shared journey and hope for our future. By embracing inclusivity and encouraging dialogue, we can strengthen the bonds that unite us. The E.P.I.C. framework–Educate, Preserve, Innovate, and Celebrate–serves as the guiding vision to honor Pennsylvania’s role in America’s story as we bring the Semiquincentennial to life,” Coleman concluded.

For more information about the Semiquincentennial Grants, visit https://www.america250pa.org/Semiquin_Grants.

To view EMMF’s upcoming 2025 season, or to purchase tickets, go to endlessmountain.net.