Our History

The Harmony Program was founded in 2003 by Anne Fitzgibbon as a privately funded project within the New York City Mayor’s Office. After a successful pilot period, the Harmony Program was incorporated as an independent non-profit organization in 2004, and in 2008, entered into a temporary partnership with the City University of New York (CUNY) to foster growth and sustainability.

The Harmony Program is inspired by Venezuela’s world-renowned system of music education, “El Sistema,” which the Harmony Program’s founder studied during a yearlong Fulbright Fellowship. Since then, the Harmony Program has adapted the model and philosophy of El Sistema to the unique needs of New York City’s communities, emphasizing community-based instruction and the social value of ensemble learning.

2003
2003
Anne Fitzgibbon founds the Harmony Program as a privately funded project within the New York City Mayor’s Office to expand access to music education.
2004-2006
2004-2006
The Harmony Program incorporates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and provides music instruction to young residents of New York City’s public housing developments.
2007
2007
Founder and Executive Director, Anne Fitzgibbon, travels to Venezuela on a year-long Fulbright Fellowship to study the world-renowned system of music education, “El Sistema.”
2008
2008
The Harmony Program enters into a temporary partnership with the City University of New York (CUNY) and launches its first instructional site in Brooklyn.
2009
2009
The Harmony Program expands into the borough of Manhattan.
2010
2010
The Harmony Program reaches its third borough, establishing its first site in the Bronx.
2011
2011
The Harmony Program partners with the West Point Band whose members coach and perform for students.
2012
2012
The Harmony Program hosts El Sistema founder Jose Antonio Abreu.
2013
2013
The Harmony Program launches its first summer camp, establishing year-round programming.
2014
2014
The Harmony Program is selected as the beneficiary of the Warner Music Prize and establishes a partnership with the Warner Music Group.
2015
2015
The Harmony Program formalizes its partnership with the New York Philharmonic.
2015
2015
The Harmony Program partners with music publisher, G. Schirmer, to create the “Living Harmony” series of original repertoire for beginner musicians, with commissions by André Previn, John Corigliano, Gabriela Lena Frank, and Jeff Beal.
2015
2015
The Harmony Program partners with the Juilliard School, bringing Morse Fellows into classrooms.
2016
2016
The Harmony Program arrives in the borough of Queens.
2017
2017
Harmony Program students are featured on the popular television show
Mozart in the Jungle.
2018
2018
In celebration of the Harmony
Program’s 10th anniversary, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio declares April 25th “Harmony Program Day” in
New York City.
2019
2019
The Harmony Program partners with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
2019
2019
The Harmony Program offers its first choral classes.
2020
2020
The Harmony Program launches Harmony at Home, a series of virtual lessons, featuring world-class artists, including Joshua Bell, Anthony McGill, Imani Winds, and others.
2020
2020
The Harmony Program partners with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
2021
2021
The Harmony Program triples its enrollment, serving over a thousand students.
2022
2022
The Harmony Program launches an Alumni Corps, connecting students to industry partners including including SiriusXM and iHeartMedia.
2023
2023
The Harmony Program expands to serve 3,000 children across four boroughs of New York City.
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