Sharing the Power of Live Music
We live and breath live music. We fervently believe in its ability to bring people together through rituals of joyful revelry and communal celebration. We consider it a vital, essential resource for happy and healthy communities. And we think its as important now as ever. So we are very proud to be a fiscal and in-kind sponsor of the Levitt Amp Springfield 2025 summer concert series bringing 10 free outdoor concerts to downtown Springfield.
As the city’s premier live music event, we brought our industry connections and experience to the table to support with lineup curation and talent buying for the summer series. Soul legend Lee Fields & The Expressions, New Orleans Mardis Gras funk ensemble The Rumble, and Delta blues scion Cedric Burnside will all bring their own unique sounds to the Levitt Amp Springfield stage. See you on the dance floor!
Youth Music Education
We are very excited to announce our newest community partnership with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra to bring music education to schools through Central Illinois. As the largest professional orchestra in the region, ISO is a vital educational resource for students of all ages in the communities we serve. The Music Matters program brings ISO musicians to elementary schools to tell their stories as professional musicians, teach how their instruments work, play various pieces,, and engage the students in Q&A sessions.
The Illinois Youth Symphony Orchestra, which became a part of ISO in 2020, serves more than 300 local students across 5 different grade levels. Their Starter Strings program focuses on weekly instruction for 1st and 2nd graders to build a solid foundation and establish a cohort of students who can grow together as they enter the middle and high-school level Symphony. As ISO Development Director Darrin Burnett noted, “Every musician has an origin story. Any musician you see on any stage in any genre has a first teacher, a first lesson, and a first time they plated for an audience.” With this ethos in mind, the ZRH Foundation is committed to supporting the origin stories of future musicians at the Illinois Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Youth Theater Education
We believe in the power of theater to promote creativity, foster empathy, improve emotianl well being, spark dialogue, inspire social change, and create a communal human experience through live, shared storytelling. So the ZRH Foundation is very excited to announce our new community partnership with the Hoogland Center for the Arts, the “heart of the arts” in Springfield, IL. Our Youth Arts & Culture Education Scholarship Fund is providing scholarship opportunities to local youth enrolled in their Hoogland Dreamers, Explorers, Believers, Creators, and Achievers year-long program. Students will learn the fundamentals of theatrical performance and have opportunities to perform throughout the year including in Hoogland mainstage productions.
Youth Music Education
As part of Youth Arts & Culture Education programming, the ZRH Foundation has partnered Music Therapy Connections and The Fleming Academy of Performing Arts to provide music therapy and education scholarships to students enrolled in their programming. With our financial support, students have access to a full year of music lessons, workshops, and mentorship.
Jackson Kelly is a 6-year old violinist at the Fleming Academy of Performing Arts in Springfield, IL where he has taken lessons for the last two years. The ZRH Foundation has made a commitment to fund a full year of Jackson’s ongoing music education.
Seth Roy is a 6 year old student at Music Therapy Connections in Springfield, IL. With the support of the ZRH Foundation, Seth is receiving a full year of weekly music therapy and education from his instructor Molly.
Youth Music Mentorship & Performance
As part of our mission to support local, live arts and culture The Zachary Ryan Harris Foundation is a proud supporter of the Forest Grove High School Mariachi Tradicion. Join us for an unforgettable evening as we celebrate Mariachi Tradición's 10th Anniversary—a decade of music, culture, and community. Founded in 2015 by Lesslie Nuñez in the Forest Grove School District, this dynamic, audition-based ensemble has become a cherished group in the Portland Metropolitan Area. Featuring violins, trumpets, guitars, vihuela, guitarron, harp, and powerful vocals, Mariachi Tradición showcases the talent and dedication of its student musicians.
As the program has grown over the years, with our support the Mariachi Tradición has had the honor of being invited to be the opening act for Latin Grammy Award-winning artists such as La Santa Cecilia, Mariachi Flor de Toloache, and Mariachi Los Camperos on some of the most prestigious stages in Oregon. The group has been featured as performers at the nationally acclaimed Portland Jazz Festival and Pickathon Immersive Music Festival.
To mark this special anniversary milestone, we are thrilled to welcome the incredible Las Cafeteras—an East-LA band that has toured the world with their unique blend of traditional folk, Afro-Mexican rhythms & cumbia, all inspired by their immersion in Son Jarocho & Zapateado dance. The evening will also feature collaborations with Ballet Folklorico Mexico en la Piel Academia, students from the broader Forest Grove mariachi program and alumni of Mariachi Tradición. The night will be full of surprises and collaborations.
Don’t miss this special anniversary event, an unforgettable night of music, dance, and celebration presented by The Zachary Ryan Harris Foundation.
