In 2025, the Alan & Mary Frankel Artist Grant, together with the Friends of Alan Frankel Artist Grant, raised enough support to fund program grants for an artist in every Classic Lyric Arts program that year.
As the 2025/26 Classic Lyric Arts Vocal Academy Resident Artists begin their Spring session and we prepare to announce the 2026 CLA Summer Artists, we are reminded of the enduring investment our donors make towards the future of opera and song. CLA Board Member Emeritus and longtime CLA friend Alan Frankel is one such visionary supporter.
Alan has contributed to CLA since 2016, serving as Vice President and Secretary of the CLA Board. Alan’s expertise in financial and business analysis for nonprofit organizations spans decades. His enthusiasm for CLA is evident in his staunch support of our Named Program Grant initiative, his loyal attendance at CLA events in New York City and the Berkshires, and his genuine wish to see young artists succeed and follow their careers.
“Having been involved with CLA for ten years, I have been witness to the incredible devotion and tenacity of the artists as they advance in their careers. Their motivation is inspiring, and the results of supporting them have been rewarded by seeing them mature in their artistry and in their personal lives.” – Alan Frankel
Each year, Alan and Mary Frankel sponsor CLA Named Program Grants for individual CLA Vocal Academy and Summer Program Artists. These grants go directly to the artists themselves, allowing them to receive artistic training at CLA with less or no financial burden on their shoulders. Alan also spearheads a yearly Facebook Birthday Fundraiser for CLA, generously double-matching every donation received. His years of support on both the CLA board and as a donor have placed him in the CLA Founder’s Circle, composed of donors who have a lifetime contribution of $20,000-$49,999.
“Support of the arts has become vital following the pandemic and the economic actions of the Federal Government. Young artists need additional monetary support in order to be able to pursue their artistic goals.” – Alan Frankel
In 2025, the Alan & Mary Frankel Artist Grant, together with the Friends of Alan Frankel Artist Grant, raised enough support to fund program grants for an artist in every Classic Lyric Arts program that year — including France, Italy, the Berkshires, and the 2025/26 CLA Vocal Academy. The year prior, in 2024, Alan supported mezzo soprano Monique Galvão in attending CLA Italy.
An alum of the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA), Monique recently made exciting debuts with Florida Grand Opera as Third Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and with Theatro Municipal de São Paulo as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. She has been an artist with Chautauqua Opera and the Miami Music Festival, and has been a prizewinner or finalist with major vocal competition such as the Loren L. Zachary National Vocal Competition, James Toland Vocal Arts Elizabeth Greenfield Competition, and the Linus Lerner International Singing Competition. Monique shares how her CLA Named Program Grant impacted her career:
“It was a fabulous experience, from the places that we visited, to the places that we performed, to our hard work with the coaches. The highlight of my summer was definitely performing “O don fatale” which is the culmination of the role of Princess Eboli in Verdi’s Don Carlo, which was very exciting. Thanks to Alan and Mary Frankel and to CLA, I get the chance to perform parts of roles that will be very very important in my life and my career.” – Monique Galvão
We are deeply grateful to Alan Frankel and the Alan & Mary Frankel Artist Grant for their leadership and generosity.
In 2025 alone, Classic Lyric Arts awarded $184,000 in Named Program Grants, directly supporting emerging artists across our programs. Establishing a Named Program Grant, as Alan has done, is a meaningful and straightforward way to make a lasting impact. Simply visit the Sponsor an Artist page on the CLA website to complete a short form and choose whether you would like to fund a full or partial sponsorship
CLA artists are immensely appreciative of our donors’ inspiring generosity, and we look ahead with great excitement to another year advancing the careers of young singers and pianists in classical music.