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| Ernst Bacon |
The American Prize is honored to announce the winners, runners-up and honorable mention recipients of The American Prize ERNST BACON MEMORIAL AWARD in the Performance of American Music, 2016, in all divisions. Congratulations!
Complete listings of finalists and semi-finalists in The American Prize competitions may be found elsewhere on this blog. Please use the chronological tool in the right-hand column to find specific results.
Among the many contests of The American Prize, the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music is unique. It recognizes and rewards the best performances of American music by orchestras and choruses worldwide, based on submitted recordings. Applications are accepted from professional, college/university, community and high school orchestras, competing in separate divisions, from choruses performing with orchestra, from orchestra and choral conductors, and from composers of orchestral or choral/orchestral music with excellent recordings of their works.
Focused exclusively on works by American composers from any period and in any style, the contest not only judges performances, but in the case of new or unfamiliar works, the music itself.
Ernst Bacon (1898—1990) was one of that pioneering generation of composers who, along with Thomson, Copland, Harris, and others, found a voice for American music. Winner of a Pulitzer Scholarship (for his Symphony in D minor) and no fewer than three Guggenheim Fellowships, Ernst Bacon set out to create compositions that expressed the vitality and affirmative spirit of our country.
It is fitting, and with honor, that The American Prize creates an annual award in the memory of Ernst Bacon, recognizing the finest performances of American orchestral music worldwide.
To learn more about the music & legacy of Ernst Bacon, please visit the website of the Ernst Bacon Society.
Please make us aware of any misprints in the listings below by emailing: theamericanprize@gmail.com
The American Prize ERNST BACON MEMORIAL AWARD in the PERFORMANCE of AMERICAN MUSIC, PROFESSIONAL division, 2016
THE AMERICAN PRIZE winner:
Nan Washburn, conductor and Michigan Philharmonic, Plymouth MI
for these recorded performances:
Michael Daugherty—Ladder to the Moon
Carter Pann—Slalom
Kareem Roustom—Hewar
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| Nan Washburn, conductor and Michigan Philharmonic, Plymouth MI |
The Michigan Philharmonic, one of the most innovative and dynamic professional orchestras in Southeast Michigan, was recently awarded the prestigious Knight Foundation Arts Challenge Grant and received 2nd and 3rd Place honors from The American Prize, professional orchestra division. Michigan Phil is bringing its events into an ever-expanding roster of Michigan communities, including Plymouth, Canton, Birmingham-Bloomfield, Brighton, Downtown Detroit, and many others. The organization is committed to reaching out to a broad and diverse array of audiences. Currently in its 70th Season, the orchestra plays a full season of concerts throughout the year including pops, outdoor, Bollywood and Fusion Festivals. The Philharmonic also has an extensive education program that includes the Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
Michael Daugherty is one of the most frequently commissioned, programmed, and recorded composers on the American concert music scene today. Daugherty first came to international attention when the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performed his Metropolis Symphony at Carnegie Hall in 1994. Since that time, Daugherty’s music has entered the orchestral, band and chamber music repertoire and made him, according to the League of American Orchestras, one of the ten most performed living American composers. Daugherty is a frequent guest of professional orchestras, festivals, universities and conservatories around the world. He has been the Composer-in-Residence with the Louisville Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Colorado Symphony, and Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, among others. Daugherty has received numerous awards, distinctions, and fellowships for his music including a Fulbright Fellowship, Kennedy Center Friedheim Award. Daugherty’s Metropolis Symphony and Deus ex Machina was honored with three GRAMMY® Awards, including Best Classical Contemporary Composition for Deus ex Machin.
Composer/pianist Carter Pann has written for and worked with musicians around the world, garnering performances by ensembles such as the London Symphony and City of Birmingham Symphony, the Tchaikovsky Symphony in Moscow, many Radio Symphonies around Europe, the Seattle Symphony, National Repertory Orchestra, the youth orchestras of New York and Chicago, and countless wind ensembles. He has written for Richard Stoltzman, the Antares Ensemble, the Capitol Saxophone Quartet, the West Coast Wind Quintet, the River Oaks Chamber Ensemble, and many concert pianists. His String Quartet No. 2 “Operas” was commissioned by the Takács Quartet to premiere in the 2015-16 season. Pann has been awarded a Charles Ives Fellowship, a Masterprize seat in London and five ASCAPs over the years. His numerous albums encompass solo, vocal, chamber, orchestral, and wind music and have received two Grammy nominations to date. He currently teaches at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Steeped in the musical traditions of the Near East and trained in western concert music and jazz, Syrian-born Kareem Roustom is an Emmy-nominated composer who is a musically bilingual composer who has collaborated with a wide variety of artists receiving numerous commissions to compose works for Kronos Quartet, Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra's department of education, and others. Recent performances of Roustom’s music have included performances by the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Malmö Opera Orchestra (Sweden), and at numerous festivals including the Verbier Festival, the Lucerne Festival, the Salzburg Festival, the BBC Proms, as well as performances in Japan, China, Germany, France, the U.K., Argentina, the Middle East, and the U.S.A. Roustom’s work in film includes a number of award-winning narrative and documentary films that have competed at festivals that include Sundance, Cannes, Tribeca and many others.
2nd Place:
Christina Brice Dolanc, composer, and Erie Chamber Orchestra & Erie Renaissance Singers Erie PA
for this recorded performance:
Stars Alone for SSAATTBB Choral Ensemble and String Orchestra -- Christina Brice Dolanc
poem by Sara Teasdale
commissioned by the Erie Chamber Orchestra
premiered April 2016 by the Erie Chamber Orchestra
featuring the Erie Renaissance Singers
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| Christina Brice Dolanc |
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| Erie Chamber Orchestra & Matthew Kraemer |
Conductor Matthew Kraemer is the Music Director of the Erie Chamber Orchestra and has been recognized for his “musical sensitivity” and “energized sense of interpretation”. He was recently appointed Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and is in his fourth season as Music Director and Conductor of the Butler County Symphony (Butler, PA). His guest conducting schedule includes numerous ensembles throughout North America and Europe.
The Erie Chamber Orchestra (Erie, PA) was founded as the Erie Bayfront Orchestra in 1978 by conductor Bruce Morton Wright, and is currently sponsored by Gannon University. Comprised of the region’s finest musicians, the group is able to maintain its mission to ensure everyone has access to classical music.
The Erie Renaissance Singers was founded in 1999 by Carolyn Brock and has been led by Steven A. Woods since 2014. They are dedicated to fostering a human connection to music through their high standards of choral excellence. Despite the word “Renaissance” appearing in their name, the 15-member ensemble performs a varied program of choral music from all eras including modern compositions.
3rd Place (there was a tie):
Tim Huling, composer, and Saratoga Orchestra of Whidbey Island, Anna Edwards, conductor, Whidbey Island WA
for this recorded performance:
The American Northwest - A Concerto for Harp and Clarinet (2015)
Composer: Tim Huling
Soloists: John Carrington, Harp and Jennifer Nelson, Clarinet
Ensemble: Saratoga Orchestra of Whidbey Island
Conductor: Anna Edwards
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| John Carrington, Harp and Jennifer Nelson, Clarinet |
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| Saratoga Orchestra of Whidbey Island Conductor: Anna Edwards |
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| Composer: Tim Huling |
SARATOGA ORCHESTRA of Whidbey Island (WA) is a professional orchestra formed in 2007 as an expansion of the Saratoga Chamber Players founded by Whidbey Island’s legendary violinist and arts supporter, Michael Nutt. The orchestra achieved significant growth from 2007 through 2012 under the leadership of Conductor Emeritus, Legh W. Burns. In 2014, Anna Edwards was appointed Music Director and Conductor and currently leads the orchestra.
ANNA EDWARDS, Music Director and Conductor of the Saratoga Orchestra, holds several positions as an artist/teacher in the Seattle area. Anna is the Director or Orchestras at Roosevelt High School in Seattle and additionally serves as conductor, founder, and music director of the Seattle Collaborative Orchestra. Her performing groups have been recognized at the local, state and national levels. In 2014, Anna received 1st place for conducting in The American Prize community orchestra division and the Seattle Collaborative Orchestra received 2nd place in The American Prize community orchestra performance division. Anna received her Doctorate of Musical Arts in conducting from the University of Washington and previously studied conducting at the prestigious Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.
3rd Place (there was a tie):
Jason Lim, conductor, and the Odysseus North Texas Chamber Orchestra, McKinney TX
for this recorded performance:
Russell Peck—Signs of Life II
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| Jason Lim, conductor, and the Odysseus North Texas Chamber Orchestra |
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| Jason Lim, conductor, and the Odysseus North Texas Chamber Orchestra |
Recognized by the Denton-Record Chronicle as one of “2012’s Most Fascinating People,” the career of conductor Jason Lim is on the rise. Lim was born in Penang, Malaysia and began his formal training in viola performance when he won a scholarship to study at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with Alice Waten. He commenced his studies at the Canberra (Australia) School of Music, and completed his bachelor’s degree with honors at the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney. Jason received his Masters degree in orchestral conducting from the University of North Texas. Known for his fine technique in performances, Jason began his conducting studies in Australia: first as an apprentice with the Canberra Youth Orchestra, and later as an Assistant Conductor with the Ku Ring Gai Philharmonic Orchestra in Sydney, a position that was awarded in conjunction with the New South Wales Ministry of Arts Conducting Prize. Most recently, Mr. Lim has been of awards from the American Prize Competition: the 2011 Young Conductor Citation Award, third prize in the 2013 Conducting Competition and most recently second prize in the 2015 and 2014 American Prize Competition for professional conductors. In 2013 Jason made his European conducting debut with the Academic State Concert Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine in Kiev and in 2014 appeared as guest conductor with the Zabrze Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. www.jasonlim-conductor.com
http://jasonlim-conductor.wix.com/jason
ODYSSEUS NORTH TEXAS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Founded in Denton in 2012, Odysseus Chamber Orchestra consists of professional classical musicians from the DFW area. In May 2012, Odysseus launched a successful inaugural performance featuring local soloists, performed with Christopher Deane, Professor of Percussion at the University of North Texas and gave the world premiere of Breathe by Brad Robin, a work commissioned by Artistic Director, Jason Lim. Innovative in its programs under the direction of Jason Lim, OCO collaborated with the Denton City Contemporary Ballet staging a full ballet performance of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and in 2014 staged the premiere performance of the full production of Igor Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale. In 2014 OCO collaborated with world renowned double bassist, Jeff Bradetich featuring the Tango music of Astor Piazzolla. In its short history, the Odysseus Chamber Orchestra has gained a growing national reputation as an emerging ensemble, winning third prize in the 2015 American Prize Competition for professional orchestras, 2nd prize in the 2014 and 3rd prize the year before. OCO has supported local service clubs like the Denton Breakfast Kiwanis Club, the Robson Ranch Kiwanis Club, sponsoring events such as the Eliminate Project Cruise and the Passing of the Banner Dinner. The outreach programs of Odysseus has expanded in the last two year, providing free chamber music series concerts, free amenity concerts in neighborhoods, educational school performances and collaborating with the Arts and Music Guild to organize the Summer Music Intensives.
JUDGES CITATION: "Exceptional Scholarship Leading to the Revival of a Charming American Work"
Paul Mauffray
Hradec Kralove Philharmonic
Czech Republic
for Chadwick's Tabasco
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| Paul Mauffray |
The American Prize ERNST BACON MEMORIAL AWARD in the PERFORMANCE of AMERICAN MUSIC, COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY division, 2016
The American Prize winner:
Peter Askim, conductor, and The Next Festival of Emerging Artists, NYC & Falls Village CT
for these recorded performances:
Pierre Jalbert—Autumn Rhapsody
Lisa Bielawa—The Trojan Woman
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| Lisa Bielawa |
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| Pierre Jalbert |
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| Peter Askim, conductor |
The Next Festival of Emerging Artists is an immersion experience for talented string players on the cusp of great careers. Combining intense musical study and performance at the highest level, the festival brings together young artists, aged 20-30, from the best music schools and conservatories in the country, to work in a highly individualized and inspirational atmosphere.
The Next Festival is dedicated to championing the music of our time and supporting the artists of tomorrow. The 2015 season marked the Festival’s New York debut at (le)poisson rouge, in a program of all living composers. The concert was featured on the WQXR/Q2’s program New York Now. (www.next-fest.org)
About Peter Askim
Active as a conductor, composer and bassist, Peter Askim is the Artistic Director of the Next Festival of Emerging Artists and the conductor of the Raleigh Civic Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, as well as Director of Orchestral Activities at North Carolina State University. He was formerly Music Director and Composer-in-Residence of the Idyllwild Arts Academy.
A dedicated champion of the music of our time, he has premiered numerous works, including works by composers Richard Danielpour, Nico Muhly, Christopher Theofanidis, Pierre Jalbert, Phil Kline, Rufus Reid, Chen Yi and Aaron Jay Kernis. He has collaborated with such artists as the Miró String Quartet, ETHEL Matt Haimovitz, Vijay Iyer and Sō Percussion.
About Pierre Jalbert
Pierre Jalbert is Professor of Composition and Theory at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music in Houston, where he has taught since 1996, and he serves as one of the artistic directors of Musiqa, a Houston-based contemporary chamber ensemble. His music is published by Schott Music. Among his many honors are the Rome Prize, the BBC Masterprize, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's 2007 Stoeger Award, given biennially "in recognition of significant contributions to the chamber music repertory", and a 2010 award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
About Lisa Bielawa
Composer-vocalist Lisa Bielawa is a 2009 Rome Prize winner in Musical Composition. Gramophone reports, “Bielawa is gaining gale force as a composer, churning out impeccably groomed works that at once evoke the layered precision of Vermeer and the conscious recklessness of Jackson Pollock,” and The New York Times describes her music as, “ruminative, pointillistic and harmonically slightly tart.” In 1997 she co-founded the MATA Festival, which celebrates the work of young composers. Bielawa was appointed Artistic Director of the acclaimed San Francisco Girls Chorus in 2013 and is an artist-in-residence at Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana, California.
2nd Place:
Hugh Murphy, conductor, and SUNY Purchase Opera/Purchase Orchestra, Purchase NY
for this recorded performance:
Robert Ward—The Crucible
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| Hugh Murphy, conductor |
3rd Place:
Mark Bartley, conductor, and West Texas A&M University Symphony Orchestra Ensemble, Canyon TX
for this recorded performance:
Libby Larsen—Four on the Floor
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| Mark Bartley, conductor, and West Texas A&M University Symphony Orchestra Ensemble |
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| Mark Bartley, conductor |
Mark Bartley has conducted professional orchestras around the world including the Atlantic Coast Orchestra (Portugal), China Opera and Dance Symphony Orchestra (Beijing), the Harbin Opera Orchestra (China), the North Czech Philharmonic (Teplice) and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bacau (Romania). He has also conducted ensembles from Cornell, Yale, Boston University, University of Hawaii, Mount Holyoke College, and the New England Conservatory. In Texas, Dr. Bartley has led the Amarillo Youth Symphony and served the Amarillo Symphony as Associate Conductor. He has been Director of Orchestral Activities at WTAMU since 2006.
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION:
Michael W. Moore, conductor, and Bob Jones University Symphony Orchestra, Greenville SC
Ernest Bloch—Schelomo
Stephen Hawkey, cello soloist
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| Michael W. Moore, conductor, and Bob Jones University Symphony Orchestra |
Conductor Michael W. Moore is in his fifth season at the helm of the Bob Jones University Symphony Orchestra in Greenville, SC. Under his baton, the BJUSO received Honorable Mention in the college/university division of the 2015 American Prize for Orchestral Performance. Moore also serves as conductor and music director for the Fountain Inn (SC) Symphony Orchestra. He holds degrees in music education and instrumental conducting and studied with William Moody (USC-Columbia).
Stephen Hawkey is a cello performance major at BJU where he studies with Dr. Yuriy Leonovich. Stephen won the 2016 BJU Concerto & Aria Competition and was recently accepted into the 2016 National Repertory Orchestra as one of nine cellists chosen from around the world. With the Chante Piano Trio, he was semifinalist in the 2015 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. During the summer of 2015, he and his trio members studied with Colin Carr, Kim Kashkashian, and Daniel Philips at the Music Mountain Masterclass Series.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Peggy Dettwiler, conductor and the Mansfield University Concert Choir, Mansfield, PA
Sing til the Spirit Moves (spirituals from twenty-three seasons)
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| Mansfield University Concert Choir |
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| Peggy Dettwiler, conductor |
HONORABLE MENTION:
Michael Richards, conductor and the UMBC Symphony, Baltimore MD
William Grant Still—Afro-American Symphony
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| Michael Richards, conductor and the UMBC Symphony |
E. Michael Richards assumed leadership of the UMBC Symphony beginning in the fall of 2007. Dr. Richards previously served as conductor of the Hamilton College Orchestra for 17 years, the Bowdoin College Orchestra, and as assistant conductor with the La Jolla Civic Orchestra (San Diego). He has also guest-conducted the Syracuse Society for New Music. Fanfare Magazine heralded a recording on the Opus One label of Masataka Matsuo’s Hirai V that Richards led with the Hamilton College Orchestra as “a staggering achievement.”
HONORABLE MENTION:
Carolyn Watson, conductor and the Texas State University Symphony, San Marcos, TX
Mollicone—Lady Bird, First Lady of the Land
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| Carolyn Watson, conductor |
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| Mollicone—Lady Bird, First Lady of the Land |
The American Prize ERNST BACON MEMORIAL AWARD in the PERFORMANCE of AMERICAN MUSIC, COMMUNITY division, 2016
The American Prize winner:
Diane Retallack, artistic director, and the Eugene Vocal Arts Chamber Choir, Eugene OR
for this recorded performance:
Shadow & Light, an Alzheimer’s Journey in 16 movements, by Joan Szymko
Newly commissioned work premiered April 8 and 10, 2016
Beall Concert Hall, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
Performers:
Eugene Vocal Arts (chamber choir of the Eugene Concert Choir organization)
Eugene Concert Orchestra
Soloists: Marietta Simpson, mezzo; Sarah Joanne Davis, soprano; Brendan Tuohy, tenor; Lexy Wellman, narrator
Conductor Dr. Diane Retallack
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| Eugene Vocal Arts and Eugene Concert Orchestra |
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| Joan Szymko |
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| Diane Retallack, artistic director |
Eugene Vocal Arts, the chamber choir of the Eugene Concert Choir organization, was founded by Artistic Director Dr. Diane Retallack in 1986. The 40-voice ensemble specializes in sophisticated repertoire from the Renaissance to the present and along with its parent organization is a resident company of the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, Oregon. The Eugene Concert Choir organization commissioned Oregon composer Joan Szymko to create a choral work on the subject of memory loss, such as Alzheimer’s disease, entitled Shadow & Light. This ground-breaking masterwork was premiered by Eugene Vocal Arts and the organization’s orchestra, Eugene Concert Orchestra, in April of 2016. The project also includes a concert video, CD recording, and video documentary of the journey. Conductor Diane Retallack received her Doctor of Music from Indiana University where she studied conducting with Margaret Hillis and score study with Julius Herford. She pursued further study in workshops with Helmuth Rilling and Robert Shaw. Diane Retallack has been Artistic Director of the Eugene Concert Choir organization since 1985 and was recipient of the 2005 Bishop Arts and Letters Award for extraordinary contribution to arts and culture in Eugene. Composer Joan Szymko has a catalog of over 100 published choral works and her music is performed by ensembles across North America and abroad. Her music has been performed at regional, national and international choral festivals, competitions and conferences including six consecutive National Conferences of the ACDA.
2nd Place:
Donald L. Appert, conductor, Clark College Orchestra, Vancouver WA
for this recorded performance:
Eric Ewazen—Palmetto Suite for Alto Trombone and Orchestra
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| Donald L. Appert, conductor, Clark College Orchestra |
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| Eric Ewazen |
Donald Appert has been Music Director/Conductor of the Clark College Orchestra since 1990. He has guest conducted orchestras in Europe, Central America, Japan and Australia. Currently he is a Professor of Music and Head of the Music Department at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington. In addition he is the Music Director/Conductor of the Oregon Sinfonietta and of the Jewish Community Orchestra, both in Portland, Oregon. He received The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in 2011 for his work with the Oregon Sinfonietta, an Honorable Mention in 2012, 3rd Place in 2014, and 2nd Place in 2015. He was also Honored Artist of the American Prize in 2015. In 2014 he received the Clark County (WA) Arts Commission Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award.
3rd Place:
Libi Lebel, conductor, and Texas Medical Center Orchestra, Houston TX
for these recorded performances:
Bernstein—Candide Overture
Ron Nelson—Savannah River Holiday
Grofe—Mississippi Suite
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| Texas Medical Center Orchestra |
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| Libi Lebel, conductor |
Russian-born conductor Libi Lebel, founder and artistic director of TMCO, has a strong and growing reputation in the music world. Ms. Lebel has been listed as one of the 50 most influential women in Houston, (population over 2 million). She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Julliard School of Music and Westminster Choir College, in piano performance and conducting. Conducting appearances in New Jersey, New York, Texas, Russia and Romania have been met with high praise. In 2013, conductor Lebel led the TMCO in a well-received program at Carnegie Hall. As to her passion about music, Ms. Lebel says: “What inspires me is to make music come alive. To feel the love, pride, joy, sadness. To help it unfold in the most convincing and compelling way. With it, we connect to the very essence of our humanity, we then come into contact with that part of ourselves that expresses our most profound creativity. I am so lucky to have music in my life.”
HONORABLE MENTION:
Kathryn Bowers, conductor, and the Oratorio Society of Estes Park, Estes Park, CO
Jerry Brubaker—Rocky Mountain Majesty
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| Kathryn Bowers, conductor, and the Oratorio Society of Estes Park |
The Oratorio Society of Estes Park (OSEP), along with the Estes Park Chamber Orchestra, was organized in December 1987 by Connie and Gary Elting and by Merritt and Laura Martin. Its first appearance was for a sing-along session of Handel’s Messiah. Since then OSEP’s conductors have introduced and led this organization of volunteer musicians from the Estes Valley to successfully perform a large variety of major classical works for chorus and orchestra, most recently including Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, the Spring section of Haydn’s The Seasons, Beethoven’s Mass in C and Choral Fantasy, Berlioz’s The Childhood of Christ, Bizet’s two L’Arlesienne Suites, and Randall Thompson’s Nativity according to Saint Luke. For the 100th Anniversary of Rocky Mountain National Park in 2015, OSEP commissioned new works from Robert Charles Howard and Jerry Brubaker.
Jerry Brubaker is an exclusive composer and arranger for Alfred Publishing Co. Inc. and has published over 300 works for band, symphony orchestra, and chorus. A native of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Jerry has a Bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music from The Catholic University of America. Mr. Brubaker served for 30 years in the United States Navy Band in Washington, DC, as a French horn soloist and composer/arranger. He became Chief Arranger in 1985 and held that position until his retirement from the Navy in 1998. Most recently Jerry has been a member of the Estes Park Chamber Orchestra, the Village Band of Estes Park (CO) and the Virginia Grand Military Band. He is President of The Association of Concert Bands. Three Rivers Rhapsody, Jerry’s newest composition will receive its premier on April 2, 2016, in Pittsburgh, PA.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Peter Wilson, music director, and the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra, Waynesboro, VA
Copland—Lincoln Portrait
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| Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra |
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| Peter Wilson, music director |
Music Director, Dr. Peter Wilson, an engaging and multifaceted violinist and conductor whose musicianship has been noted as “first-class” by The Washington Post. He has served as Music Director of the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra since 2007 and was appointed Music Director of the Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra in 2013. The String Section Commander for “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, he has performed as a violinist of The White House for over a quarter century. Highly respected throughout the National Capital Region, he is also Concertmaster of the American Festival Pops Orchestra, has guest conducted the National Symphony Orchestra and National Gallery Orchestra, and serves on the faculties of James Madison University and George Mason University as an adjunct instructor of violin. He holds music degrees from Northwestern University and The Catholic University of America where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts.
The American Prize ERNST BACON MEMORIAL AWARD in the PERFORMANCE of AMERICAN MUSIC, YOUTH ORCHESTRA division, 2016
The American Prize winner:
Wes Kenney, conductor, and the Denver Young Artists Orchestra, Denver CO
for this recorded performance:
Copland—Billy the Kid Suite
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| Denver Young Artists Orchestra |
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| Wes Kenney, conductor |
Wes Kenney in now in his third season with the Denver Young Artists Orchestra and now is preparing the YAO for appearances in Carnegie Hall in June 2016. The 2007 Grand Prize Winner of the Varna (Bulgaria) International Conducting Competition, later in August he will start his 13th season as Music Director of the Fort Collins (Colorado) Symphony and Director of Orchestras at Colorado State University. Named in 2004 to an additional post as Music Director of Opera Fort Collins, he currently conducts three professional operatic productions as well as numerous orchestra concerts and dance performances each season throughout Northern Colorado. Mr. Kenney’s recent guest conducting activities include the Denver Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Colorado Music Festival, Acadiana Symphony (LA), Lafayette (IN) Symphony, and New Mexico All-State. Next July he will travel to Korea for the first time to conduct the Changwon Philharmonic. He has also conducted the Alabama All-State Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony, Alabama Symphony, New Mexico Symphony, and Richmond Symphony. Other international guest conducting includes performances with the Vidin State Philharmonic and Stara Zagora Opera Company in Bulgaria as well as the Edinburgh (Scotland) Music Festival.
2nd Place:
Orlando Cela, conductor, and the NC Governor's School Orchestra, Winston-Salem NC
for these recorded performances:
Ken Ueno—On the Condition for the Existence of Most Specific Hypothesis
Libby Larsen—What the Monster Saw
Ives—Three Places in New England, Putnam’s Camp, Redding, Connecticut
Ives—The Fourth of July
Dulaney—The Old Harp, version 3
John Luther Adams—Dark Waves
Armando Bayolo—A Shelter that Filters the Sun
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| Orlando Cela, conductor, and the NC Governor's School Orchestra |
The focus of Instrumental Music at Governor's School West is the study and performance of important music of our time for full orchestra and smaller ensembles, and the creation and performance of student works. These are all chosen to "open windows onto the future," the goal of the Governor's School curriculum as a whole. The orchestra and ensemble rehearsals are devoted not only to the preparation of the work for performance, but also to the development of an understanding of the concepts behind the pieces. Several class periods per week are devoted to lecture/discussions called "Context" – placing the music into a context of a broader understanding of 20th-21st-century musical thought and making meaningful connections with similar concepts in other disciplines. The orchestra repertoire that is studied and performed is all 20th-21st-century, and ranges from the relatively accessible styles of Holst, Copland, and Britten to the aesthetic and technical challenges of Lutoslawski, Tan Dun, Cage, Berio, Pärt, and Reich. These pieces are selected not only with the student's technical abilities in mind, but primarily as models of contrasting theories of 20th-century composition appropriate for study by the orchestra and the entire student body. Orchestra students respond with enthusiasm to the variety of repertoire, producing notable performances for high-school players.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Ron Polomchak, conductor and the Schaumburg Youth Concert Orchestra, Schaumburg, IL
Ron Nelson—Jubilee
Copland—Fanfare for the Common Man
Richard Meyer—An American Rhapsody
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| Ron Polomchak, conductor and the Schaumburg Youth Concert Orchestra |
Ron Polomchak has been part of the Schaumburg Youth Orchestras since 2012. After one season conducting the Sinfonia String ensemble, Mr. Polomchak began conducting the Schaumburg Youth Concert Orchestra. Since 1995, Mr. Polomchak has directed the orchestra program at Lake Zurich Middle School South in Illinois School District 95. Mr. Polomchak has also served as an orchestra conductor at the Blue Lake International Fine Arts Camp in Michigan.
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Congratulations to all 2016 Laureates of The American Prize Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music.
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