The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) celebrated the 75th anniversary of the recording industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) at the 2023 Curtain Up! LIVE from Broadway finale concert in New York’s Times Square on September 10. The tribute recognized MPTF’s work enriching lives and uniting communities through the power of music.
Primarily funded by RIAA member companies, including Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Walt Disney Records, the non-profit MPTF partners with businesses, chambers of commerce, arts councils, municipal government organizations, and parks programs to fund thousands of in-person and virtual events annually.
MPTF has distributed more than US$620 million in financial resources and grants since 1948, engaging members of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) to perform live in admission-free events. It also fosters more than 500 Music in the Schools programs, scholarships, and much more.
The MPTF-sponsored events range from major marquis events, such as the three-day Curtain Up! Broadway Festival in Times Square, to Jazz Appreciation Month and Juneteenth concerts, and live music in senior centers and assisted-living facilities. More than 1,000,000 people attended events supported by MPTF across North America over the last year alone.
“The MPTF team is so grateful to be recognized by the RIAA and together celebrate our 75th anniversary alongside our two fundamental partners, the recording industry and the AFM. The generous financial support of major labels enables MPTF to foster thousands of admission-free live performances each year which are developed and organized by dedicated local union offices of the American Federation of Musicians,” said Daniel Beck, Trustee of MPTF.
“On behalf of the American Federation of Musicians, I want to thank the MPTF for its outstanding work over the past 75 years. The MPTF has had a significant impact on the lives of thousands of musicians. MPTF funding ensures working musicians are paid a fair wage for live performances as they serve their local communities through live music,” said Tino Gagliardi, International President of AFM.
Mitch Glazier, Chairman/CEO of RIAA, and Michele Ballantyne, COO of RIAA, added: "MPTF’s gift of free live music to communities all around the country changes lives. It reminds us music has no boundaries, and RIAA Members are honored to support this dynamic, living testament to the tapestry of American music."
For more information on MPTF programs, live stream and in-person music events, and more, visit www.musicpf.org and www.facebook.com/the.mptf/
Photo:
Pictured at the celebration (L to R): James Harrington, SVP Global Revenue & Royalty Optimization of Universal Music Group and Co-Chair of MPTF’s Oversight Committee; Daniel Beck, Trustee of MPTF; and Susan Moultrie, SVP Artist Initiatives & Business Administration at Sony Music Entertainment.
