PLAYBACK CONCERT

Fall 2003

CONCERT

Orchestra Awards for Adventurous Programming

ASCAP's Frances Richard (fourth from right) gathers with recipients of ASCAP's 2003 Orchestra Awards for Adventurous Programming in San Francisco.

For the 46th consecutive year, orchestras demonstrating exceptional commitment to contemporary composers were honored at the American Symphony Orchestra League's National Conference, which was held in San Francisco at the San Francisco Marriott Ballroom. The annual Adventurous Programming Awards recognize American orchestras whose concert programs prominently feature music composed within the last 25 years.

ASCAP's Frances Richard said, "These awards honor orchestras whose concert season prominently featured music written within the past 25 years. For the music of our time to enter the repertory, it must be performed often, well, and with courage, conviction and an adventurous spirit. ASCAP congratulates the orchestras and music directors who enrich the repertory and keep our great concert music tradition relevant and alive."

In true ASCAP tradition, Richard introduced the presenter of the 2003 ASCAP Awards, Peter Schickele, the distinguished ASCAP composer, performer, recording artist, broadcast personality and alter ego of P.D.Q. Bach. Richard praised Schikele as a distinguished composer, an outstanding and beloved musical citizen, who has taught us all to appreciate the vernacular and to discern the humor in our serious concert music world.

Pictured (l-r) are ASCAP's Frances Richard, Alice Parker and ASCAP/Alice Parker Award Winner and Baltimore Choral Arts Society Music Director Tom Hall.

Adventurous Programming Awards Presented at Chorus America Conference

ASCAP honored four choral ensembles for adventurous programming during the 2002-03 concert season, at the Chorus America Annual Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

In presenting the Awards, ASCAP's Frances Richard commented: "These awards are presented on behalf of the members of ASCAP, to those whose excellent performances of the music of our time enrich and replenish the great choral repertory. On behalf of the composers whose music you presented this past season, we thank you."

For the third year, ASCAP presented an adventurous programming award in the category of Children/Youth Choruses. This award category recognizes the dynamic growth and exciting contribution of vocal ensembles comprised of American children.

In addition, a new honor, the ASCAP/Alice Parker Award, was established to honor legendary ASCAP choral composer and conductor, Alice Parker, in honor of her 75th year. The award will be presented annually to the choral ensemble that expands the mission of the chorus and challenges its audience in new ways. The award was initiated to encourage those choruses whose normal season had not typically emphasized performance of music composed within the past twenty-five years.

ASCAP Composers Honored With Rome Prizes

The American Academy in Rome has named 31 winners of its annual Rome Prizes, among them ASCAP composers Mason Bates and Jefferson Friedman. The Rome Prize is awarded to American artists and scholars on the basis of a juried competition; fellowships range from six months to two years of study at the Academy's 18-building complex in Rome, Italy.

Mason Bates

Mason Bates is a Young Concert Artists' composer-in-residence currently working on his PhD in composition at the University of California, Berkeley. He has won a number of awards, including a commissioning grant from the Koussevitzky Music Foundation, a Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the 2002 ASCAP Morton Gould Award, the 2002 De Lorenzo Prize of the University of California/Berkeley for "Ode," a commission of The Phoenix Symphony, and the 1999 ASCAP Leo Kaplan Award for "Sounds for His Animation," commissioned by the New Juilliard Ensemble and premiered at Alice Tully Hall. The 25-year-old Philadelphia native attended the Juilliard School.

Jefferson Friedman

The other composer winner is Jefferson Friedman who studied at Juilliard and at Aspen. Friedman has been commissioned to write two works for Leonard Slatkin and the National Symphony. His awards include the 2000 ASCAP Leo Kaplan Award, a 2001 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award and the 2001 Palmer Dixson Prize for his orchestral work "Sacred Heart: Explosion," which was also a 2001 Juilliard Orchestra Competition winner. Friedman holds an MM in music composition from the Juilliard School.

Photo by Behzad Ranjbaran

World Premiere of Behzad Ranjbaran's Violin Concerto

Iranian-born composer Behzad Ranjbaran received the ASCAP Foundation Rudolf Nissim Prize several years ago for his Violin Concerto. The work was given its world premiere this year with a performance by violinist Joshua Bell and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic with Gerard Schwarz conducting in Liverpool, England. Pictured at the premiere (l-r) are Schwarz (ASCAP), Bell and Ranjbaran.

Sheng

Bright Sheng's Madame Mao

The Santa Fe Opera presented the World Premiere of Bright Sheng's opera, Madame Mao, in Santa Fe, New Mexico on July 26. The work was composed to a libretto by director Colin Graham. Sheng is pictured in the Santa Fe Opera House.

Fleisher/Oundjian/Yi

Chen Yi's Caramoor's Summer

The Orchestra of St. Luke and the Caramoor International Music Festival commissioned composer Chen Yi to write a piece for Caramoor's 25th season. Chen Yi's work, "Caramoor's Summer" was performed on July 27th in Katonah, New York by the Orchestra of St. Luke. Chen Yi dedicated the work to ASCAP's Fran Richard. Pictured (l-r) are pianist Leon Fleisher, Caramoor's artistic director and conductor Peter Oundjian and Chen Yi.

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