About the Holst Foundation

Founded in 1981 by Imogen Holst (1907-84), the daughter of Gustav Holst, the Holst Foundation is a grant-giving charity whose funds were for more than 30 years directed primarily towards the performance and recording of music by living composers. The total of grants awarded during that period amounted to over £3 million. Imogen Holst did not intend to support performance or publication of Holst’s music through the Foundation after the initial expiry of copyright in 1984. This was done in a small way through the company which administered the Holst Estate; subsequent to the copyright legislation of 1997 which extended copyright to 70 years, the major copyrights finally expired at the end of 2004, and the company was incorporated into the Foundation.

The Holst Foundation was from its inception funded from royalties, and most grant-giving activities came to an end in 2014. The annual grant to NMC Recordings, which was created under the auspices of the Foundation in 1988, was discontinued in 2016. Applications for grants are no longer accepted, although the Foundation hopes to be able to fund selected projects on a limited basis at the discretion of its Music Committee.

The Foundation continues to administer the estates of both Gustav and Imogen Holst, whose Archives are now held by Britten-Pears Arts at The Red House in Aldeburgh, who also administer Imogen Holst’s former home, 9 Church Walk, which is available for composer residencies: applications may be made to enquiries@brittenpearsarts.org. For further details of the Archive go to the relevant page of this website.