Building on the success of their 2024 grant, Proyecto Olga Iglesias receives $15,000 from the Ángel Ramos Foundation to bring 10 educational recitals across Puerto Rico and invite participating schools to the orchestrated premiere of 'La Batalla de los Clásicos' in 2026.
San Juan, Puerto Rico – The Proyecto Olga Iglesias (OIP) is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a second consecutive $15,000 grant from the Fundación Ángel Ramos. This continued support through the foundation’s Inversión 360º program will enable OIP to significantly expand its educational outreach by presenting 10 educational recitals across schools throughout Puerto Rico and culminate with inviting these same impacted schools to witness the orchestrated version of La Batalla de los Clásicos at Teatro Arriví in San Juan in February 2026.
This remarkable second-year funding builds directly upon the tremendous success of the 2024 grant, which supported the world premiere of La Batalla de los Clásicos in November 2024 and its initial educational performances in schools across the island. The sustained partnership with Fundación Ángel Ramos demonstrates the foundation’s commitment to long-term cultural education initiatives that create lasting impact in Puerto Rican communities.
Anthony Cheney Guzmán, Founder and Executive Director of OIP, expressed his profound gratitude: “Receiving this second consecutive grant from the Fundación Ángel Ramos is both an honor and a testament to the educational impact La Batalla de los Clásicos has achieved in its first year. This expanded support allows us to reach even more students across Puerto Rico with our educational recitals, and then bring them together for the unprecedented experience of seeing the full orchestrated version at Teatro Arriví. We are building a true community of young opera enthusiasts who will carry Puerto Rico’s classical music heritage into the future.”
The 10 educational recitals will tour schools throughout the island, bringing the engaging story of Puerto Rico’s three greatest classical composers—Felipe Gutiérrez y Espinosa, Juan Morel Campos, and Manuel Gregorio Tavárez—directly to students in their educational environments. Each participating school will then receive an invitation to attend the special February 2026 orchestrated performance at Teatro Arriví, creating a comprehensive educational journey that moves from classroom to concert hall.
This orchestrated version of La Batalla de los Clásicos represents a significant artistic evolution from the original version for piano and voice, featuring a complete arrangement for chamber orchestra consisting of piano, strings, and winds. The performance at Teatro Arriví will serve as both a celebration of Puerto Rican classical music and a culminating educational experience for the students who participated in the school recitals.
The Fundación Ángel Ramos’s Inversión 360º program continues to prove its commitment to initiatives that promote social mobility through education, arts, and culture. By supporting OIP for a second consecutive year, the foundation recognizes the measurable impact of opera education in developing cultural appreciation, critical thinking skills, and artistic engagement among Puerto Rican students.
Since its founding in 2020, OIP has consistently demonstrated its dedication to making Puerto Rican classical music accessible to new generations. This expanded program, supported by Fundación Ángel Ramos, represents the largest educational opera initiative in OIP’s history, directly impacting hundreds of students across the island while preserving and celebrating Puerto Rico’s rich musical heritage.
The success of this multi-year partnership establishes a model for sustained cultural education that other organizations and foundations can emulate, proving that consistent support for arts education creates exponential returns in community engagement and cultural preservation.
About the Fundación Ángel Ramos
The Fundación Ángel Ramos is a philanthropic organization committed to promoting social mobility in Puerto Rico. Through its Inversión 360º program, it supports projects in education, arts, culture, and social well-being, with the goal of positively transforming communities and improving the quality of life for Puerto Ricans.