The Victor Salvi Foundation was established in 2000 to promote the harp to a wider audience through a variety of programs and activities related to the instrument and its music. The culmination of Victor Salvi’s lifelong dedication to the harp, the foundation is a 501 C3 non-profit organization based in Chicago, Illinois with programs operating in the United States, the UK, Europe, and most recently, Colombia.
The foundation’s most recent large-scale endeavor was producing Caratagena I International Festival of Music, which took place January 6-13, 2007 in Colombia. The New York Times Travel section named the Cartagena International Festival of Music one of the "Places to Go" in 2008.
Long interested in seeking a unique venue for an international music festival, Victor Salvi and his wife, Julia, selected Cartagena for its picturesque charm, excellent concert facilities, ideal climate and rich cultural traditions. These qualities make it an ideal choice. Under the artistic direction of Charles Wadsworth, the festival will soon take its place among the great music festivals of the world. The festival aims to provide educational music opportunities for gifted and talented young children from all over Colombia. It is the hope of the foundation directors that in the years to come this festival will become an important part of the cultural life of the country and will be carried on by the people of Colombia for future generations to enjoy.
The Victor Salvi Foundation also sponsors and promotes:
Numerous international harp performances.
The leading international harp competitions, including the International Harp Contest (Israel); US International Harp Competition (Bloomington, Indiana) and the Lily Laskine International Harp Competition (France).
Presents first-prize winners with a magnificent harp, debut recitals in London, Chicago, New York and a recording on Egan Records.
The commissioning and publication of new harp music.
Educational and research projects related to the harp and its music.
In addition to promoting the harp at the international level, the foundation manages the most comprehensive collection of antique harps in the world. The collection, "Three Centuries of Harpmaking," explores the evolution of the instrument over the last three hundred years. The collection is located in the new Museo dell’Arpa Victor Salvi in Piasco, Italy, which opened to the public for the first time on January 28, 2006. It is the only museum of its kind in the world. Visitors can see first-hand the evolution of the harp from its earliest days while observing from the glass-enclosed gallery, harps being made by skilled craftsmen in the Salvi harp factory. It is the result of the local "Comunita Montana Valle Varaita," Salvi Harps and the Victor Salvi Foundation.
The foundation has a vital interest in educational programs aimed at introducing children and young adults to the harp. Its collaboration with professional harpists, schools and international cultural organizations has led to a significant number of harp workshops worldwide.
"Discovering the Harp," one of the foundation’s signature programs, has been instrumental in introducing young children to this remarkable instrument. Started initially in Italy in 2002, the program has expanded to the UK and other countries.
To further nurture young talent, the foundation works closely with colleges, conservatories and universities around the world to provide harpists with performance opportunities. The "Student Recital Series" in London welcomes students from the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Trinity College of Music and Guildhall School of Music to perform at selected venues throughout the year to gain valuable performing experience.
The Victor Salvi Foundation has established collaborations with several major international music organizations that include the harp as a regular part of their concert series. This results in more performance opportunities for harpists and greater opportunities for audiences to enjoy the beauty of the instrument. Among the organizations are Young Concert Artists (US) and Live Music Now (UK).
The foundation also supports the International Harp Archives at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, the largest harp archive in the world. Since 2001, it has provided financial support, donated scores and recordings, and several models of Lyon & Healy harps.
In order to expand the repertoire of the harp, the foundation commissions new work from such renowned composers as Valeri Kikta, Zhou Long, Kenji Bunch, Thomas Rajna, James Bassi and Paul Sarcich, among others.
