ASCAP composers attending the Chamber Music America Conference in New York City were presented to the attendees during a special reception on Friday, January 16.

ASCAP recently honored 19 chamber music ensembles, festivals and presenters for their adventurous programming during the 2003 concert season, at Chamber Music America's Annual Conference held January 15 through 18 at the Westin Hotel in New York City.

ASCAP’s Vice President of Concert Music Frances Richard, who presented the awards, commented: “This is the seventeenth year of ASCAP’s collaboration with Chamber Music America to present Adventurous Program ming Awards. These awards are made on behalf of the members of ASCAP, in appreciation for the Ensembles, Presenters and Festivals, which feature performances of the music of our time for audiences throughout the United States. With special emphasis upon works written since 1980, we celebrate the exciting and vibrant Chamber Music tradition through adventurous programming.”

For full list of Awards, visit www.ascap.com/press/2004/cma_012704.html

George Arasimowicz Named 24th Annual Recipient of The ASCAP Foundation Rudolf Nissim Award

Five Composers Receive Special Distinction

George Arasimowicz was awarded The ASCAP Foundation Rudolf Nissim Award for Encomia for ?, a 26 minute work for orchestra, selected from amongst nearly 300 submissions. Arasimowicz will receive a prize of $5,000.

Formerly Dean of the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, Arasimowicz has been appointed Dean of Arts, Media and Communications at Wheaton College in Illinois. Arasimowicz resides in the Chicago area. His awards include the Hecksher Foundation Composition Prize; a Guggenheim Fellowship; Awards from the Colorado Council on the Arts; the Kenneth Davenport National Competition for Orchestral Works; Fromm Foundation, and support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Artslink/Soros Foundation, Canada Council and the arts councils of Alberta, Colorado, Illinois and Ontario. Arasimowicz’s music has been commissioned by the Barlow Endowment, the American Composers Forum, PBS, NPR and CBC broadcasting networks. He has served on the faculties of Southern California College, the University of Alberta, the University of Colorado at Denver, and Wheaton College. He earned his doctorate at the University of California, San Diego and holds degrees from McGill University, the University of Toronto, and Carleton University with certificates earned at the Chopin State Academy of Music (Warsaw, Poland) through the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and the Royal Conservatory of Toronto.

The Nissim Jury also recognized five composers for Special Distinction: Jeremy Cumbo of Austin, TX for Tenchi (Heaven and Earth) for Orchestra, duration 11 minutes; Peter Knell of Pasadena, CA for Rhythm Changes for Violin and Chamber Orchestra, duration 14 minutes; Andrew Norman of Modesto, CA for Sacred Geometry for Orchestra, duration 10 minutes; Tracy Scott Silverman of Nashville, TN for Electric Violin Concerto, duration 35 minutes; and Orianna Webb of Akron, OH for Xylem for Orchestra, duration 5 minutes.