The
American Prize is honored to announce the winners, runners-up and honorable mentions of
The American Prize in Conducting—band/wind ensemble divisions, 2016-17.
Congratulations!
All applicants finalist or higher
receive written evaluations from a member of The American Prize judging
panel.
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.
Please make us aware of any misprints: theamericanprize@gmail.com
The American Prize in Conducting—band/wind ensemble, 2016-17, college/university division:
The American Prize winner:
Andrew Pease
Arizona State Univ. Wind Bands
Tempe AZ
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| Andrew Pease |
Andrew D. Pease began his career helping to put bands back on the map in New York City, where he led the Columbia University Wind Ensemble and the community band Columbia Summer Winds. He has degrees from Dartmouth College, Columbia University, Hofstra University, and a DMA in wind conducting at Arizona State University, where his teachers included Gary Hill, Wayne Bailey, Timothy Russell, and William Reber. While at ASU, he conducted all levels of instrumental ensembles and led composer clinics with John Mackey and Michael Markowski. Also in Phoenix, he founded the professional Sun Valley Chamber Winds. Dr. Pease is the newly-appointed Director of Bands at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY. Dr. Pease runs two websites dedicated to the music of the wind band. Wind Band Literature attracts a global audience. The Wind Band Symphony Archive is a living record of wind band symphonies.
2nd Place:
Chee Weng Yim
Frost Wind Ensemble
Coral Gables FL
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| Chee Weng Yim |
Chee Weng Yim is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Musical Arts in Instrumental Conducting at the University of Miami Frost School of Music where he is a student of Robert M. Carnochan. A native of Singapore, Chee Weng earned the Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting degree from the Georgia State University, under the instruction from Robert J. Ambrose.
Chee Weng has worked with prominent conductors both at home and in the United States. Professionally, Chee Weng has been invited to conduct in Taiwan, Osaka, Japan, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and local bands in Singapore. He pioneered the SALON concert series (currently in its fifth installment), which performed chamber music for winds, at the Georgia State University.
3rd Place (there was a tie):
Cormac Cannon
University of SC Symphonic Winds
Columbia SC
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| Cormac Cannon |
Cormac Cannon is Associate Professor of Music and Associate Director of Bands at the University of South Carolina, where he conducts the Symphonic Winds, teaches conducting, and guides all aspects of the athletic band program. Previously, Cannon served for six years on the music faculty at Michigan State University. Cannon earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting at the University of Texas at Austin, the Master of Music degree in wind conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and the Bachelor of Music degree in percussion performance and music education from the University of Iowa. From 2001-2005 Cannon served as director of bands at Williamsburg High School in Williamsburg, Iowa, and from 2006-2007 was music director and conductor of the Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble. His primary conducting teachers include Jerry Junkin, Rodney Winther, and Kevin Sedatole.
3rd Place (there was a tie):
Kevin Michael Holzman
The Eastman Wind Ensemble & Wind Orchestra
Rochester NY
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| Kevin Michael Holzman |
Kevin Michael Holzman recently completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree coursework in conducting at the Eastman School of Music studying with Dr. Mark Scatterday, director of the Eastman Wind Ensemble. As the Frederick Fennell Conducting Fellow and 2016 recipient of the Walter Hagen Prize for Excellence in Conducting, he serves as Associate Conductor of the world-renowned Eastman Wind Ensemble and Eastman Wind Orchestra. Kevin is the first wind conducting student at Eastman to be invited to conduct rehearsals for the Eastman Philharmonia, as well as the first to serve as cover conductor for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, he has on multiple occasions conducted OSSIA New Music, the Graduate Chamber Orchestra, and the Graduate Composer’s Sinfonietta, including multiple world premieres. Kevin was recently invited to serve as the associate conductor of an upcoming tour to Europe with the Eastman Harmonie. He recently collaborated with prominent composers David Maslanka and Bert Appermont for the “Celebration of the Symphony” concert with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, which included the North American premiere of Appermont’s Symphony No. 2.
FINALIST / HONORABLE MENTION:
Jaclyn Hartenberger
Hodgson Wind Symphony (UGA)
Athens GA
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| Jaclyn Hartenberger |
Jaclyn Hartenberger serves as the Associate Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Georgia. In addition to serving as the conductor for the Wind Symphony, she teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting. Dr. Hartenberger received a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from The University of Texas at Austin, under the tutelage of Jerry F. Junkin. Prior to her graduate degree work she served as a middle school and high school band director in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex for distinguished music programs. Dr. Hartenberger received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of North Texas, where she performed and recorded with the prestigious UNT Wind Symphony. Dr. Hartenberger has served as a visiting conductor in concert with the West Point Band in New York; the University of Missouri Wind Ensemble in St. Louis, Missouri; and most recently traveled to Brazil serving as visiting professor and wind band conductor for the Festival International de Inverno da USFM.
FINALIST / HONORABLE MENTION:
Shawn Smith
UNC Charlotte Wind Ensemble
Charlotte NC
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| Shawn Smith |
Dr. Shawn Smith is Director of Bands at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In high demand as a band and orchestra conductor, Smith has been invited to conduct throughout the United States and internationally.
Smith has conducted professional ensembles including the Corpus Christi Symphony, and members of the Charlotte Symphony and conducts regularly throughout Brazil including guest conducting engagements with one of the finest professional bands in South America, the State Symphonic Band of São Paulo. Equally at home with opera and musical theater productions, Smith has conducted pit orchestras for the Marriage of Figaro and Les Misérables. His performances have been heard numerous times on American Public Media’s "Performance Today," the most popular classical music radio program in the United States.
Smith has presented clinics and speeches at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago and at conferences in the United States, Europe and South America.
FINALIST / HONORABLE MENTION:
Mark Tse
U.of Washington Concert Band
Seattle WA
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| Mark Tse |
Mark Tse is pursuing his doctoral studies in conducting with Timothy Salzman at the University of Washington in Seattle where he regularly conducts the UW Concert Band and is an assistant conductor to the UW Wind Ensemble. He recently won 2nd place with the American Prize competition in the area of college/university wind band with footage from his masters program.
Tse completed his masters in conducting with Charles Peltz at the New England Conservatory. While there, he has premiered new works and conducted with NEC’s Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Winds.
Tse has been invited to participate as a conducting fellow with scholarship at many symposiums including the Wintergreen Conductors' Summit, the Bard Conductors' Institute, and the Hartt Instrumental Conducting Clinic.
In addition to wind ensembles, Tse also conducts orchestras, musical pit bands and jazz ensembles.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Brett A. Richardson
University of the Incarnate Word Wind Ensemble
San Antonio TX
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| Brett A. Richardson |
Dr. Brett A. Richardson serves
as the Coordinator of Music Education/Director of Bands, Instrumental
Area Coordinator, and an Assistant Professor
of Music at the University of the Incarnate Word where he teaches
courses within the music education curriculum, conducts the Wind
Ensemble, directs the Marching Cardinals, and administers all facets of
the UIW Band program. In the 2015-16 school year, he
will begin serving as a representative in the Faculty Senate for the
College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. Richardson holds the
Doctor of Music degree in Wind Conducting from the world-renowned
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he
was a student of Prof. Stephen W. Pratt. He also holds a Master of
Music with emphasis in Wind Conducting from Texas A&M
University-Commerce under Dr. Bradley N. Kent and a Bachelor of Music
Education from Stephen F. Austin State University with Texas State
Board of Education Certification in Secondary Music under Prof. Fred J.
Allen. Prior to his appointment at UIW, Dr. Richardson proudly served
as an Associate Instructor with the Indiana University Jacobs School of
Music Department of Bands/Wind Conducting
and as the Resident Conductor for the Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble, a
community wind band based in Bloomington, Indiana. Previously, he
served as the Assistant Director of Bands and Instructor of Music at his
alma mater, Stephen F. Austin State University
in Nacogdoches, Texas.
The American Prize in Conducting—band/wind ensemble, 2016-17, community/school division:
The American Prize winner:
Brian Hughes
Quad City Wind Ensemble
Davenport IA
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| Brian Hughes |
The winner of the 2015 American Prize in Band Conducting and lauded by Iowa Public Radio as a “major figure in Iowa arts,” Brian Hughes is an active conductor at home and abroad. Since his 1993 European debut with the Northern Iowa Chamber Winds in Eger, Hungary, he has conducted concerts in the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, and Russia. In 1995, he founded the Tri-State Wind Symphony (Dubuque) and has led it through twenty-one seasons of substantive growth. Brian is also the Music Director of the Quad City Wind Ensemble (Davenport).
He holds degrees in music education and conducting from Olivet College (MI), the University of Northern Iowa, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Brian lives in Dubuque with his precocious teenage daughter, Caitlyn. When not on the podium, Hughes can be found in various coffee shops or in his own kitchen—glass in hand--with his favorite utensil: his wok.
2nd Place:
Michael Knight
St. Norbert Community Band
De Pere WI
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| Michael Knight |
Michael Knight joined the St. Norbert College music faculty during the fall of 2010. In addition to serving as conductor of the St. Norbert Community Band, his duties include conducting the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band and teaching courses in conducting and instrumental music education. Dr. Knight previously held the position of Associate Director of Bands at the University of Missouri, where his responsibilities included directing the 290-member Marching Mizzou, conducting the Symphonic Band, and teaching courses in conducting and marching band techniques. He also served as conductor of the Southeast Iowa Concert Band based at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, IA. Prior to his collegiate teaching career, Dr. Knight taught public school music in Missouri.
3rd Place:
Mark Tse U. of Washington Wind Ensemble
Seattle WA
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| Mark Tse |
Mark Tse is pursuing his doctoral studies in conducting with Timothy
Salzman at the University of Washington in Seattle where he regularly
conducts the UW Concert Band and is an assistant conductor to the UW
Wind Ensemble. He recently won 2nd place with the American Prize
competition in the area of college/university wind band with footage
from his masters program.
Tse completed his masters in
conducting with Charles Peltz at the New England Conservatory. While
there, he has premiered new works and conducted with NEC’s Wind Ensemble
and Symphonic Winds.
Tse has been invited to participate as a
conducting fellow with scholarship at many symposiums including the
Wintergreen Conductors' Summit, the Bard Conductors' Institute, and the
Hartt Instrumental Conducting Clinic.
In addition to wind ensembles, Tse also conducts orchestras, musical pit bands and jazz ensembles.
***
Congratulations!
