Jacobs Commits $250,000 to Cox Music Initiative
The 10-year gift supports young orchestral musicians of color pursuing classical music through the Roderick Cox Music Initiative in St. Paul.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Classical
Nancy Jacobs has committed $250,000 over 10 years to the Roderick Cox Music Initiative, which supports young orchestral musicians of color. Conductor Roderick Cox returned to Walker West Music Academy on October 19 and met the initiative's fellows in person.
Why it matters
Private lessons, youth symphonies and summer study for a serious string student can cost $10,000 to $15,000 a year before instrument costs. The initiative covers those expenses and travel to national summer programs, which scholarships often do not pay for.
The initiative has served 11 fellows since its 2019 founding and supports five or six at a time, with four having attended the Sphinx Performance Academy. The extraction does not specify the year-by-year spending plan for Jacobs' gift or how many fellows it will fund.
The players
Roderick Cox
A conductor who founded the Roderick Cox Music Initiative and is currently based in Berlin, Germany, with a music directorship in Montpellier, France.
Walker West Music Academy
A St. Paul music academy founded in 1988 in the Rondo neighborhood that has stewarded the initiative since the 2025-26 academic year.
Nancy Jacobs
The donor who committed $250,000 over 10 years to support the initiative's fellows.
The details
Cox founded the initiative in 2019 with Dr. Yvonne Cheek, Anton Vincent and Maurice Holloman. Students in fifth through 12th grade with at least three years of instruction can apply by audition, and fellows performed for Cox during his visit, including a solo performance of Florence Price's Fantasie No. 1 in G minor.
Timeline
2019: Cox founds the initiative with three co-founders.
2020: Cox last sees the fellows in person before his October visit.
2025-26 academic year: Walker West begins stewarding the initiative.
October 19, 2026: Cox visits Walker West and meets fellows in person.
Next 10 years: Jacobs' $250,000 commitment period.
Industry Dynamics
Four initiative fellows have attended the Sphinx Performance Academy, which selects about 30 students nationally each year, placing this local effort within the same national pipeline for young Black and Latino classical string players. The initiative's travel coverage aims to make those national summer opportunities accessible to students who could not otherwise afford them.
Families of students in fifth through 12th grade with at least three years of instruction can apply to the initiative by audition. The program covers private lessons, youth symphony tuition, better instruments and travel to national summer programs.
The takeaway
Scholarships rarely cover travel, so the initiative's coverage of national summer programs can determine whether a talented student gets access at all. Families weighing those costs can look into the initiative's application process.
Further reading
For more on the city's concert scene, explore Classical coverage from Wisevoter.
More information
Learn more and find donation details on the Roderick Cox Music Initiative page at Walker West Music Academy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.
