ORCHESTRAL PROGRAMMING FINALISTS— VYTAUTAS MARIJOSIUS MEMORIAL AWARD

The American Prize is pleased to announce conductors and their ensembles advanced to the final round of The American Prize in Orchestral Programming - Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award.  Congratulations! To know the exact date and time when winners will be announced, please subscribe to our Facebook or Twitter pages.

To learn more about Maestro Marijosius and the award created in his honor, please visit our associated blog: Remembering Marijosius

FINALISTS (in no order) are:

Donald L. Appert, Music Director/Conductor, Oregon Sinfonietta, Vancouver, WA

Chris Younghoon Kim, Director of Orchestras, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Peter Freisinger, Music Director/Conductor, Freisinger Chamber Orchestra, Boston, MA

Michael Griffith, Director of Orchestral Activities, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

Jeffery Meyer, Director of Orchestras, Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra, Ithaca, NY

Mark Perlman, Music Director, Willamette Falls Symphony, Salem, OR

David Leibowitz, Music Director, New York Repertory Orchestra, New York, NY

CONDUCTOR FINALISTS for The American Prize, 2011

The American Prize is pleased to announce conductors advanced to the final round of The American Prize in Conducting in all performance categories for 2011. Congratulations! To know the exact date and time when winners will be announced, please subscribe to our Facebook or Twitter pages.

Finalists for The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award will be announced on Wednesday at 4 pm.

The American Prize in Conducting, Orchestra Division, 2011
FINALISTS (in no order)






Professional Orchestra
Benjamin Rous, Associate Conductor, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Portsmouth, VA

Judith Morse, Music Director & Conductor, Edison Symphony Orchestra, Edison, NJ

Travis Jürgens, Music Director & Conductor, Philharmonia of Greater Kansas City, Kansas City, MO

Christopher Zimmerman, Music Director, Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, Falls Church, VA

Community Orchestra
Christopher Ramaekers, Principal Conductor, Ravenswood Community Orchestra, Chicago, Il

Eric Peterson, Conductor, Queer Urban Orchestra (QUD), Jackson Heights, NY

Mark Perlman, Music Director, Willamette Falls Symphony, Salem, OR

David Bernard, Music Director, Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, New York, NY

David Leibowitz, Music Director, New York Repertory Orchestra, New York, NY

College/University Orchestra
Kenneth Kiesler, Music Director, University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Ann Arbor, MI

Robert William Boardman, DMA Orchestral Conducting 2010, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Vera Volchansky, Director/Conductor, Millersville University Orchestra, Lancaster, PA

Jeffery Meyer, Directors of Orchestras, Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra, Ithaca, NY

Pu-Qi Jiang, conductor, University of Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Memphis, TN

Taeyoung Lee, Orchestral Conducting Student, The Mannes Orchestra, New York, NY

Jacob Sustaita, Graduate Assistant, Penn State University Philharmonic, State College, PA

Roger Kalia, Doctoral Conducting Fellow, Indiana University Sinfonietta/Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, Bloomington, IN

Youth Orchestra
Nathaniel Meyer, Founder & Conductor, Belmont Summer Music Festival Orchestra, Belmont, MA

Michael Webster, Artistic Director, Houston Youth Symphony, Houston, TX

Alyze Dreiling, Conductor, Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, San Diego, CA


The American Prize in Conducting, Choral Division, 2011
FINALISTS (in no order)

College/University Chorus
David P. DeVenney, Conductor, West Chester University Concert Choir, West Chester, PA

Richard Nance, Conductor, Pacific Lutheran University Choir of the West, Tacoma, WA

Carole J. Ott, Assistant Professor of Choral Music, University Chorale and Chamber Singers, Greensboro, NC

Peggy Dettwiler, Conductor, Mansfield University Concert Choir, Mansfield, PA

Community Chorus
Daniel Hughes, Conductor, The Choral Project, San Jose, CA

Richard Nance, Conductor, Pacific University (Community) Choral Union, Tacoma, WA

J. Reilly Lewis, Music Director, Cathedral Choral Society, Washington, D.C.

 
The American Prize in Conducting, Opera Division, 2011
FINALISTS (in no order)

Channing Yu, Conductor, Lowell House Opera, Cambridge, MA

Michael Sakir, Conductor, Boston Opera Collaborative, Boston, MA

Keith Clark, Artistic Director, Astoria Music Festival, Portland, OR

CHORAL FINALISTS for The American Prize 2011

The American Prize is pleased to announce choruses advanced to the final round of The American Prize in Choral Performance competitions for 2011. Congratulations! To know the exact date and time when winners will be announced, please subscribe to our Facebook or Twitter pages.

We will begin to announce finalist conductors Monday at 4 pm.

David Katz, principal judge of The American Prize, shared these comments: "Based on the applications received this year and last, the quality of choral music-making (and choral education) in this country is indeed high. What a joy to experience such heartfelt and exquisite singing...The final decisions the judges face in several categories will be very difficult ones."

The American Prize in Choral Performance, 2011
FINALISTS (in no order)

Professional Chorus 

Milwaukee Choral Artists, Sharon Hanson, director, Milwaukee, WI 

Sky-Born Music: 10th anniversary commissions and world premieres 

Washington Bach Consort, J. Reilly Lewis, founder and music director, Washington, DC 

music by Byrd, Praetorius, Gabrieli, Sweelinck, Schutz and more 

Sinfonia Voci, Daniel Abraham, Conductor & Artistic Director, Washington, DC 
music by Bach, Carissimi, Rossi and Biber

The Princeton Singers, Steven Sametz, Artistic Director, Princeton, NJ 
music by Finzi, Lauridsen, Milhaud, Sametz, more

Community or Faith-based Chorus

Sistrum: Lansing Women’s Chorus, Meredith Bowen, conductor, Lansing, MI
Brandon: Dancing Naked at the Edge of Dawn, more

Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis, IN
Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Britten Sanctus from War Requiem 

Peninsula Women’s Chorus, Martin Benvenuto, artistic director, Palo Alto, CA
Tormis, Elgar, Schumann, Barber, more

Austin Civic Chorus, Ryan Heller, conductor, Austin, TX
Cherubini: Requiem in C minor, more

Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble, Kenmore, WA
music by Martinu, Barber, Schumann, Muehleisen, more

Pacific Lutheran University (Community) Choral Union, Richard Nance, conductor, Tacoma, WA
Britten: The Company of Heaven, Tormis, Chilcott, more

Albany Pro Musica, David Griggs-Janower, artistic director and conductor, Albany, NY
An Hour to Sing: Music of Gwyneth Walker 

Cathedral Choral Society, J. Reilly Lewis, conductor, Washington, DC
Beethoven: Missa Solemnis 

Seattle Pro Musica, Karen Thomas, conductor, Seattle, WA
Mendelssohn: from Elijah, Lauridsen, more

Cantori New York, Mark Shapiro, artistic director, New York, NY
Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Romancero Gitano, Dowland, Levy
 

College/University Chorus

Mansfield University Concert Choir, Peggy Dettwiler, conductor, Mansfield, PA 
music by Paulus, Whitacre, Bach, Byrd, Mendelssohn, more 

West Chester University Concert Choir, David DeVenney, conductor, West Chester, PA 
selections from Israel in Egypt, Rorem Four Madrigals, more 


The University of South Dakota Chamber Singers, David Holdhusen, conductor, Vermillion, SD
music by Whitacre, Stanford, Ticheli, Christiansen, more 

Pacific Lutheran University Choir of the West, Richard Nance, conductor, Tacoma, WA
Phoenix: includes music by Bach, Distler, Whitacre, McGlynn, Robinovitch, more 

University of Arizona Symphonic Choir, Elizabeth Schauer, conductor, Tucson, AZ
music by Weekles, Monteverdi, Argento, Vaughan Williams, more

Secondary or High School Chorus 

Longmeadow Hill School Lyrics, Kayla Werlin, conductor, Longmeadow, MA

music by Palestrina, Verdi, Bach, Durufle and more  

Jr. Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, Susan Medley, conductor, Pittsburgh, PA 

music by Schubert, Faure, Viadana and Dello Joio 

Ann Arbor Huron High School A Cappella Choir, Richard Ingram, conductor, Ann Arbor, MI

music by Vivaldi, Finza, Childs, Ticheli and more

Youth Chorus 

Old North Festival Youth Chorus, Rebecca Kenneally, director Marblehead, MA

holiday concert 

The Bel Canto Children’s Chorus, Joy Hirokawa, artistic director, Red Hill, PA 
music by Walker, Bach, Thompson, more 

Columbus International Children’s Choir, Tatiana Kats, artistic director and principal conductor, Columbus, OH 
music by Vivaldi, Bach, Verdi, Bizet, Rachmaninoff, more  

Central Illinois Children’s Chorus Chamber Choir, Andrea Solya, conductor, Champaign, IL 
music by Vivaldi, Clausen and Faure's Messe Basse

ORCHESTRA and OPERA finalists for The American Prize

The American Prize is pleased to announce orchestras advanced to the final round of The American Prize in Orchestral Performance for 2011. Congratulations! To know the exact date and time when winners will be announced, please subscribe to our Facebook or Twitter pages.

Finalist choruses will be announced Saturday at 4 pm; conductors Monday at 4. 

Maestro David Katz, chief judge of The American Prize, provided this perspective: "Selecting the finalist orchestras was not difficult for us this year. Despite differences in the size of the ensembles, the musical approach of the conductors, and, of course, the repertoire, there is no doubt that each of the semi-finalists was of a quality to be further adjudicated by the judges; each is obviously worthy of additional scrutiny..."

*****
  

The American Prize in Orchestral Performance, 2011
FINALISTS (in no order)







Professional Orchestra
Edison Symphony, Judith Morse, music director, Metuchen, NJ
Beethoven, Rimsky-Korsakov, Liszt, Ravel

Western Piedmont Symphony, John Gordon Ross, music director and conductor, Hickory, NC
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, Weber, Warshauer

Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, Peter Rubardt, music director, Pensacola, FL
Holst from The Planets, Ives, Tower, Dvorak, Beethoven

Community Orchestra
The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey, Robert Butts, conductor, Rockaway, NJ
Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Monteverdi 

Central Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Michael Avagliano, music director, Metuchen, NJ
Haydn, Beethoven, Arriaga, Sibelius

Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, David Bernard, conductor, New York, NY
Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2

College/University Orchestra
Pacific (University) Philharmonic, Bryce Seliger, Director of Orchestral Activities, Forest Grove, OR
Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Ravel

Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra, Jeffery Meyer, conductor, Ithaca, NY
Brahms, Rossini, Shostakovich

The Mannes Orchestra, Taeyoung Lee, conductor, New York, NY
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5  

University of Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Pu-Qi Jiang, director, Memphis, TN
Mahler Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection"  

Cornell Symphony Orchestra, Chris Younghoon Kim, conductor, Ithaca, NY
Ravel Daphnis & Chloe Suite No. 2  

University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Kenneth Kiesler, conductor, Ann Arbor, MI
Mahler Symphony No. 6

Youth Orchestra
Houston Youth Symphony, Michael Webster, conductor, Houston, TX
Prokofiev Romeo & Juliet  

Vivace of Stringendo Orchestra School, Jon Handman, conductor, LaGrangeville, NY
Diamond, Elgar, Mozart, Suk

YPO Philharmonic String Orchestra and Soloist Ensemble, Alyze Dreiling, conductor and artistic director, San Diego, CA
Bartok Six Dances, Divertimento, Bridge Suite

Secondary or High School Orchestra
Horace Mann String Sinfonietta, Darin Lewis, conductor, Bronx, NY
Elgar, Tchaikovsky, Barber

Arlington High School Philharmonia, Jon Handman, conductor, LaGrangeville, NY
Dvorak, music from Chicago, Chronicle of Narnia 

*** 

The American Prize is also pleased to announce ensembles who have advanced to the final round in its new competition in Opera Performance. Congratulations! To know the exact date and time when finalists will be announced, please subscribe to our Facebook or Twitter pages.

Maestro Katz: "Excellent performances, wonderful repertoire." 

The American Prize in Opera Performance, 2011

FINALISTS (in no order)







The Crane Opera Ensemble, Crane School of Music (SUNY), Kirk Severtson, conductor, Potsdam, NY
Ravel: L'enfant et les sortileges 

Boston Opera Collaborative, Michael Sakir, music director/conductor, Boston, MA
Adamo: Little Women  

Lowell House Opera, Channing Yu, conductor, Cambridge, MA
Puccini: Tosca  

Astoria Music Festival Opera, Keith Clark, artistic director and conductor, Portland, OR
Berg: Wozzeck

TWATAP for June 10, 2011

After a violent electrical storm knocked out power to the offices of The American Prize for two full days this past week, we will be open for business as scheduled Monday morning.

This week at The American Prize: 

SCHORR VOCAL COMPETITIONS:  Certificates will be sent to remaining semi-finalists and others. Contestants will receive by email publicity materials to use in their promotion without restriction.

COMPOSITION CONTESTS: Winners and runners-up have been announced. Prizes, certificates and evaluations will be mailed this week.

PIANO COMPETITIONS: Winners and runners-up have been announced. Prizes, certificates and evaluations will be mailed next week.

CONDUCTING and ENSEMBLE PRIZES: finalists will be announced during the week. To know the exact date and time of announcements, please subscribe to our Facebook or Twitter pages.

WEBSITE UPDATES: We expect to begin to upload 2012 competition information this coming week.

FOR JUDGES: All piano, composition, conducting and ensemble judges will be contacted by email this week. Vocal judges will receive information by mail.

Please email if you have additional questions: theamericanprize@gmail.com or theamericanprz@aol.com

Many thanks.

WINNERS in Piano Performance—SOLO, all divisions of The American Prize

The American Prize is pleased to announce the winners of The American Prize in Piano Performance (Solo) in all divisions.

PROFESSIONAL DIVISION: Lin-Yu Wang

In the professional division, the winner is Lin-Yu Wang of Aiea, HI, for her recital of works by Scriabin, Berio and Dutilleux.

Lin-Yu Wang is a Doctoral Candidate of Arizona State University. She is an active soloist and accompanist, and has been performing in the United States, Taiwan, and the Czech Republic. Her recent appearances including performance with pianist Caio Pagano, alto Maya Hoover, soprano Jaqueline Quirk, violinist Elaine Lu, and cellist Pauline Bai. She is involved with the performance of 20th century music of Taiwan, especially of female composers. She is currently teaching in Honolulu.

May Phang of Greencastle, IN was the first runner-up, playing works by Liszt, Bach and Gougeon.

Jade Simmons, of Humble, TX was the second runner-up, for her cd featuring music by Barber, Corigliano, Pinkston and Roumain.

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY DIVISION: Sora Park

In the college/university division, the winner is Sora Park of Macomb, IL.

Sora Park is from Seoul, South Korea and is in her second year as a graduate  student in Piano Performance at Western Illinois University where she studies  with Dr. Tammie Walker. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Hanyang  University in Seoul and attended the Sun-hwa Arts School during her pre-college  years. Ms. Park is a graduate assistant in piano accompanying and is the pianist for the Western Illinois University Singers, conducted by Dr. James Stegall.

Maria Dickson, of Provo, UT, placed second.

Soojung Jeon, Duluth, MN, placed third.


HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION: Verina Chen

In the high school division, the winner is Verina Chen of Provo, UT.

Verina Chen began piano lessons eight years ago with Dr. Irene Peery-Fox.  Verina placed first twice in the Utah State Fair, the MTNA Piano, and the Encore Concerto Competitions.  She has soloed with the Utah Symphony twice for their Annual Salute to Youth concert and once as a Guest Artist. She also performed with the Utah Valley and American Fork Symphonies.  Verina has studied viola for ten years. She enjoys reading, swimming, and tennis.

Aaron Potter of Albany, OR placed second.

Neha Kumar of Wynne, AR placed third.

Congratulations!