Friday, November 10, 2023

MARIJOSIUS AWARD, 2023: winners

Vytautas Marijosius
The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, David (Volosin) Katz, founder and chief judge, is honored to announce 2023 WINNERS, runners-up and honorary mentions in orchestral programming, The Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award. Congratulations! Questions, or to make us aware of any misprints in the listings below, please email: theamericanprize@gmail.com 

The American Prize—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming honors the memory of the great Lithuanian conductor, Maestro Vytautas Marijosius, music director of the Lithuanian State Opera, and for nearly thirty-five years Director of Orchestral Activities at the Hartt School of Music of the University of Hartford. The Prize recognizes and rewards the best achievement in the unique field of orchestral programming, where the selection of repertoire by knowledgeable, creative and courageous music directors builds orchestras and audiences, educates young people and adults, and enriches the community.  

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. The American Prize is unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, directors, ensembles and composers in the United States at professional, college/university, community and high school levels, based on submitted recordings. Now in its thirteenth year, The American Prize was founded in 2010 and is awarded annually in many areas of the performing arts. Thousands of artists from all fifty states have derived benefit from their participation in the contests of The American Prize, representing literally hundreds of communities and arts organizations across the nation.  Information about the 2023-24 season of contests is now available and applications are being accepted, with extended deadlines in September and October. (http://theamericanprize.org)

The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award (collegiate division), 2023

The American Prize winner:
David A. Rahbee 
University of Washington Symphony Orchestra
Seattle WA

David A. Rahbee
David Alexander Rahbee is currently Senior Artist in Residence at the University of Washington School of Music in Seattle, where he is Director of Orchestral Activities and teaches conducting. He is recipient of the American-Austrian Foundation's 2003 Karajan Fellowship for Y oung Conductors, the 2005 International Richard-Wagner-Verband Stipend, and the Acanthes Centre in Paris in 2007. He has recently worked with the Seattle Symphony, Orchesterakademie der Bochumer Symphoniker, the Seattle Modern Orchestra, National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, Guernsey Symphony and Orquesta Sinfónica de Loja. He participated in masterclasses with Kurt Masur, Sir Colin Davis, Jorma Panula, Zdeněk Mácal, Peter Eötvös, and Zoltán Peskó. His principal conducting teachers were Charles Bruck and Michael Jinbo at the Monteux School. He holds degrees from Indiana University, New England Conservatory, and University of Montreal. He also studied at Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Vienna. www.davidrahbee.com


2nd Place:
Michelle Di Russo   
Cornell University Orchestra   
Ithaca NY  
Michelle Di Russo
A graceful yet powerful force on the podium, Argentinian-Italian conductor Michelle Di Russo is known for her compelling interpretations, passionate musicality, and championing of contemporary music. Recently appointed as the new Assistant Conductor of North Carolina Symphony and Interim Director of Orchestras at Cornell University and, she is a Freeman Conducting Fellow in Chicago Sinfonietta’s Project Inclusion program and The Dallas Opera Hart Institute, as well as a recipient of the Richard S.Weinert award from Concert Artists Guild.
 Former posts include serving as Assistant Conductor for the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra and as cover conductor for The Phoenix Symphony and Arizona Musicfest. Di Russo was the recipient of a 2020 American Austrian Foundation/Faber Young Conductors Fellowship and has served as a conducting fellow at the Cortona Sessions for New Music in Italy. Recent engagements include covering for St. Louis Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra and San Diego Symphony.  


3rd Place (there was a tie):
Jeffrey Klefstad   
All University Orchestra—Carnegie Mellon University  
Pittsburgh  PA   

Jeffrey Klefstad
Jeffrey Klefstad is Music Director and Conductor of the All University Orchestra (AUO) at Carnegie Mellon University. He has led orchestras throughout North America and Europe, including the Aurora Festival Orchestra (Sweden), the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic (Czech Republic), McGill Symphony Orchestra (MGSO) and Contemporary Ensemble (MCE). He has collaborated with the saxophone quartet, Quasar, and worked with the Meitar Ensemble (Israel) under the guidance of Pierre-André Valade. Previously, Klefstad served as assistant conductor for Resonance Works (Pittsburgh), was guest conductor in residence for l’Orchestre du Conservatoire de la Montérégie (Montreal), and cover conductor for the Pittsburgh, Akron and Edgewood Symphony Orchestras, and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. He has worked with acclaimed conductors and composers, Leif Segerstam, Kurt Masur, Manfred Honeck, Steve Reich, Jennifer Higdon, Roberto Sierra, and Samuel Jones, among others. www.jeffreyklefstad.com



3rd Place (there was a tie):
Paul McShee   
Binghamton University Symphony Orchestra
Binghamton   NY 

Paul McShee

Described as “emotionally stirring” by the Missoulian, Paul McShee, artistic director of instrumental studies and assistant professor at Binghamton University, is known for the "energy and sincere expression" of his performances. Equally at home on the podium and in the opera pit, McShee is sought after as a conductor for opera productions in the U.S. and Europe, and directs the Edinburgh PopUpOpera. McShee has conducted the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, the Boulder Chamber Orchestra, The Missoula Symphony Orchestra, the London Paradisal Players, L’Orchestre Band-Son, the Philharmonie Mihail Jora and the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic. He holds the DMA in conducting from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. He has taught at the University of Minnesota, the University of Connecticut, and Binghamton University. His current research concerns the intersections between philosophy and the music of Brahms, Wagner, and Mahler. McShee studied under Marin Alsop, and Harvey Felder. www.paulrmcshee.com


The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award (non-collegiate division), 2023

The American Prize winner:
Ubaldo Valli  
Pierstown Grange Chamber Concerts  
Cooperstown NY

Ubaldo Valli  
Ubaldo Valli is director of the Pierstown Concert Series (Cooperstown NY).  He was Music Director/Conductor of the SUNY Cortland College-Community Orchestra, co-founded and conducted the Northeast String Orchestra (Albany, NY) and the Saratoga Springs Youth Symphony, served as Music Director and/or Conductor of the Hamilton College Orchestra, the Auburn (NY) Chamber Orchestra, the Saratoga Springs Youth Orchestra and the Empire State Youth Orchestra String Ensemble and Advanced Chamber Ensemble.  As a guest conductor, Valli has conducted widely: at festivals, for Music’s Recreation (Ithaca, NY), at Ithaca College and for an interfaith service with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama of Tibet. He studied conducting with Jeffrey Meyer, Pamela Gearhart and Karel Husa.  He has also studied and performed theater improvisation internationally and in 2018 and 2021 presented papers linking orchestral conducting and performance with improv and theatrical mask techniques at the Oxford Conducting Institute Conducting Studies Conference, University of Oxford. 



2nd Place (there was a tie):
Kathryn D. Brownlee  
New Texas Symphony Orchestra   
Dallas TX

Kathryn D. Brownlee 
Dr. Kathryn D. Brown is Founder, Artistic Director, and Conductor of the New Texas Symphony Orchestra. She started the NTSO in 2004 with a dream to give amateur and volunteer musicians an opportunity to play in a full orchestra setting, and to share with audiences the excitement and improved quality of life that comes from being a part of music played for the love of it. All NTSO concerts are free to attend thanks to the NTSO initiative of Free Concerts for All. Through this, Dr. Brown is honored to bring local and internationally recognized artists to audiences who otherwise might have missed their music. Dr. Brown earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from Boston University with a focus on community music and lifelong music making. She is also a Music Professor at Dallas College and holds memberships in the Conductors Guild, Texas Music Educators Association, and Sigma Alpha Iota. 



2nd Place (there was a tie):
Wojciech Milewski
Summerville Orchestra  
Summerville SC 
Wojciech Milewski
Energetic and dynamic Wojciech Milewski is an emerging operatic and orchestral conductor. He is the recipient of the 2019 Henderson Symphony Orchestra Harold Farberman Prize and was a finalist in the 2019 Los Angeles Conducting Competition. Recently named music director of Charleston Opera Theater, Wojciech has held the baton for the Summerville Orchestra since 2016. Under his leadership, the orchestra has directly engaged the community by starting three separate outreach series, selling out its rou pre-COVID seasons and doubling its active musician roster.


3rd Place:
Kaleb Benda  
Oklahoma Chamber Symphony  
Oklahoma City  OK   

Kaleb Benda
Conductor Kaleb Benda is Music Director of the Oklahoma Chamber Symphony, Music Director of the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Concert Band, and Assistant Conductor of the Enid Symphony Orchestra. Having conducted across the United States and in Hungary, Benda’s multi-faceted career also includes regular appearances with the annual Cool Classics Series where he conducts the OK Strings ensemble, as Artistic Director of the Texas Chamber Symphony, and guest conducting engagements. In 2021 he and Oklahoma Chamber Symphony commissioned Williams’ Greenwood, Archer & Pine, a piece commemorating the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Consecutively in 2016-2021, Kaleb Benda was named a finalist for The American Prize in the discipline of conducting. In 2021, Kaleb was named a Next Gen under 30 award winner for his effort with Oklahoma Chamber Symphony to make classical music accessible in the community. Visit www.kalebbenda.com for more information.



Finalist Honorable Mention:
John B. Gordon 
Williamson County Symphony Orchestra   
Round Rock TX

John B. Gordon

The Williamson County Symphony Orchestra was formed in 2002 with the mission of encouraging the general public to come listen to great music.  The Orchestra consists of between 60 and 80 members, staffed almost entirely by volunteer musicians, into a near-professional level ensemble.  The concert format that was instituted 21 years ago has a programming formula that brings in large to over-flow audiences. Under Director of Music John Gordon's leadership, the Orchestra continues to perform FREE "pops-styled" concerts with a mixture of music from the classical, both romantic & modern periods, movies & TV, contemporary, and religious genres of music and new compositions from Composer-in-Resident, Dr ML Daniels.  The FREE concerts are pitched toward families, seniors, and the general public.  The Orchestra performs a two-concert series four times a year - Fall, Christmas, Spring, & Outdoor - at venues across Williamson County plus one FREE concert for troops and families at Ft Hood.

John Gordon was a founding member of the Orchestra in February of 2002.  He has served as Chairman (President) of the Board of Directors for 20 years and as Director of Music for the last three years.  He has guided the music selection, selected venues, brought in Conductors, done some conducting, and assisted the Orchestra's musicians over the years while serving as First or Second Trumpet in performances. John is a Registered Professional (Electrical) Engineer and has been involved in many of the major electric utility cases in Texas.  


*** 


Congratulations!

MARIJOSIUS AWARD, 2023: finalists

Vytautas Marijosius
The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, David (Volosin) Katz, founder and chief judge, is honored to announce 2023 FINALIST conductors in orchestral programming, The Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award. Congratulations!

As the contests unfold, runners-up and winners will be selected from this list. To know the exact date when winners will be announced, please like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter #AmericanPrize, where that information will be published first. 

All contestants are reminded they are responsible for the viability of their online links to audition materials. Those links must remain active until the end of the contest year. Questions, or to make us aware of any misprints in the listings below, please email: theamericanprize@gmail.com 

The American Prize—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming honors the memory of the great Lithuanian conductor, Maestro Vytautas Marijosius, music director of the Lithuanian State Opera, and for nearly thirty-five years Director of Orchestral Activities at the Hartt School of Music. The Prize recognizes and rewards the best achievement in the unique field of orchestral programming, where the selection of repertoire by knowledgeable, creative and courageous music directors builds orchestras and audiences, educates young people and adults, and enriches the community.  

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. The American Prize is unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, directors, ensembles and composers in the United States at professional, college/university, community and high school levels, based on submitted recordings. Now in its thirteenth year, The American Prize was founded in 2010 and is awarded annually in many areas of the performing arts. Thousands of artists from all fifty states have derived benefit from their participation in the contests of The American Prize, representing literally hundreds of communities and arts organizations across the nation.  Information about the 2023-24 season of contests is now available and applications are being accepted, with preliminary deadlines in May & July. (http://theamericanprize.org)

At The American Prize there is never a preset number of finalists in any division—finalists are those artists who are judged to be worthy of additional consideration and evaluation. Contestants, therefore, do not compete against each other, but in reference to judges' perceived impression of an artistic ideal.

If you are not a finalist this year, please remember that the contests are not yet over. The American Prize reserves the right to award Honorable Mentions and Citations for Special Achievement to any contestant, regardless of final placement. TAP has honored a number of semi-finalists and quarter finalists in the past--to recognize a unique talent or focus, unusual repertoire, vital programming or outreach. Citations and Honorable Mentions are usually awarded at the same time as winners and runners-up, but can be presented at any time up to the last winners' announcement of the contest year.

We invite finalists to make the most of their selection by announcing it on their facebook page, tweeting the news, and including a link to this announcement on their website or blog. A sample announcement may be found at the end of the post.

NATIONAL FINALISTS: The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award (collegiate division), 2023

Michelle Di Russo   
Cornell University Orchestra   
Ithaca NY   

Jeffrey Klefstad   
All University Orchestra—Carnegie Mellon University  
Pittsburg  PA   

Paul McShee   
Binghamton University Symphony Orchestra
Binghamton   NY 

David A. Rahbee 
University of Washington Symphony Orchestra
Seattle WA  


NATIONAL FINALISTS: The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award (non-collegiate division), 2023

Kaleb Benda  
Oklahoma Chamber Symphony  
Oklahoma City  OK   

Kathryn D. Brownlee  
New Texas Symphony Orchestra   
Dallas TX

John B. Gordon 
Williamson County Symphony Orchestra   
Round Rock TX

Phillip Lenberg
Ukiah Symphony Orchestra  
Ukiah  CA  

Wojeiech Milewski
Summerville Orchestra  
Summerville SC 

David W. Oertel 
Starlight Symphony Orchestra   
Wimberley  TX

Eric Scheider   
Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra  
Hendersonville NC

Ubaldo Valli  
Pierstown Grange Chamber Concerts  
Cooperstown NY

*** 

We invite finalists to make the most of their selection by announcing it on social media, and including a link to this announcement on their website or blog. 

Here is a sample announcement:

"Great News! I've just been selected as a finalist in the (blank) division of The American Prize National Non-profit Competitions in the Performing Arts. Here's the link: (copy link here). The American Prize will be announcing winners in my division soon. You can learn more about this prestigious national competition here: www.theamericanprize.org or follow the news on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-American-Prize-celebrating-American-excellence-in-the-arts/214320622728 or Twitter: https://twitter.com/americanprize "

Please feel free to modify or expand this announcement to suit your needs.

Congratulations to all finalists. 

Thursday, September 29, 2022

MARIJOSIUS AWARD, 2022: Winners

 

Vytautas Marijosius
The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, David (Volosin) Katz, founder and chief judge, is honored to announce the 2022 winners and runners-up in orchestral programming, The Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award. Congratulations! 

The American Prize—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming honors the memory of the great Lithuanian conductor, Maestro Vytautas Marijosius, music director of the Lithuanian State Opera, and for nearly thirty-five years Director of Orchestral Activities at the Hartt School of Music. The Prize recognizes and rewards the best achievement in the unique field of orchestral programming, where the selection of repertoire by knowledgeable, creative and courageous music directors builds orchestras and audiences, educates young people and adults, and enriches the community.  

You can read more about Maestro Marijosius here: http://rememberingmarijosius.blogspot.com
Or visit the collection of historic documents, programs and photographs of the artist here: https://marijosius.tumblr.com/


Complete listings of finalists and semi-finalists in The American Prize competitions may be found elsewhere on this blogPlease use the chronological tools column to find specific results.

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. The American Prize is unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, directors, ensembles and composers in the United States at professional, college/university, community and high school levels, based on submitted recordings. Now in its twelfth year, The American Prize has awarded more than $100,000 since its founding and is offered annually in many areas of the performing arts. Thousands of artists from all fifty states have derived benefit from their participation in the contests of The American Prize, representing literally hundreds of communities and arts organizations across the nation.  Information about the 2022-23 season of contests has been updated and applications are now being accepted. (http://theamericanprize.org)

Please make us aware of any misprints: theamericanprize@gmail.com


The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award, 2022


The American Prize winner: 
Eckart Preu
Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra
Cincinnati OH




Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra

The Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra creates intimate, transformative experiences that connect the musically curious. The CCO is an independent ensemble of 32 professional musicians that marked its 45th anniversary in 2019 and is widely recognized as one of the leading performing arts organizations in the region. 
Eckart Preu was named CCO music director in October, 2016. Summermusik concerts take place during the month of August, and are presented in various beautiful venues all around Greater Cincinnati. The festival hosts three distinct series – Mainstage at SCPA, A Little Afternoon Musik and Chamber Crawls – each one a layer in the unique voice of the CCO, performing music from Bach to rock. Under the exciting and creative leadership of Maestro Preu the festival has experienced unprecedented growth in the past two years. Summermusik 2022 will be the 8th season of the annual festival that the Cincinnati Enquirer praised as “the most imaginative, most entertaining three weeks on the classical music calendar.”


2nd Place (there was a tie):
Alexandra Dee
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra
Indiana PA

Alexandra Dee
Alexandra Dee is the Director of Orchestral Studies and assistant professor of violin and viola at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her previous positions include Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of St. Francis; music director and conductor of Chicago’s South Loop Symphony; and cover conductor for Joffrey Ballet, with whom she debuted in 2017. Also at home in the opera pit, she is a frequent guest conductor at Manitoba Underground Opera. Dee completed a DMA in orchestral conducting at Northwestern University, where she studied with Victor Yampolsky. She holds an MM in orchestral conducting and a BME from Florida State University, where she studied with Alexander Jiménez. Her positions at FSU included founding music director and conductor of the Campus Orchestra. An advocate for contemporary music, Dee has premiered numerous works by living composers. In particular, she champions the works of her husband, Roger Zare.


2nd Place (there was a tie):
Thomas Dickey
OSU Symphony Orchestra
Oklahoma City OK

Thomas Dickey
Second Prize Winner of the 2019 Mozart & Tchaikovsky International Conducting Competition, Thomas Taylor Dickey has been reviewed by critics as a "dynamic and exciting conductor" whose conducting is "imbued with aplomb, energy, and pathos." Thomas currently serves as the Director of Orchestral Studies at Oklahoma State University, where he conducts the OSU Symphony Orchestra and guides all aspects of the orchestra and graduate orchestral conducting programs.  He is also the Music Director & Conductor of the OSU Youth & Community Orchestras.  Previously, he was the Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Conductor of the Dubuque Symphony Youth Orchestra (IA). Thomas has conducted many professional orchestras throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, in addition to numerous all-state, honors, and university orchestras in twenty-eight states. Thomas holds degrees from Eastern Illinois University, LSU, and the University of Georgia.  He has worked with conductors such as Jin Wang, Jorma Panula, Carl Topilow, Christopher Zimmerman, and Diane Wittry. 



3rd Place:
David A. Rahbee
University of Washington Symphony Orchestra
Seattle WA

David A. Rahbee
David Alexander Rahbee is currently Senior Artist in Residence at the University of Washington School of Music in Seattle, where he is Director of Orchestral Activities and is chair of orchestral conducting studies. He is recipient of the American-Austrian Foundation's 2003 Karajan Fellowship for Young Conductors, the 2005 International Richard-Wagner-Verband Stipend, and the Acanthes Centre in Paris in 2007. He has recently worked with the Seattle Symphony, the Chattanooga Symphony, Orchesterakademie der Bochumer Symphoniker, the Seattle Modern Orchestra, National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, and the Guernsey Symphony Orchestra. He participated in masterclasses with Kurt Masur, Sir Colin Davis, Jorma Panula, Zdeněk Mácal, Peter Eötvös, and Zoltán Peskó. His principal conducting teachers were Charles Bruck and Michael Jinbo at the Monteux School. He holds degrees from Indiana University, New England Conservatory, and University of Montreal. He also studied at Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Vienna.  www.davidrahbee.com

MARIJOSIUS AWARD, 2022: finalists

 


Maestro Vytautas Marijosius

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, David (Volosin) Katz, founder and chief judge, is pleased to announce 2022 NATIONAL FINALIST conductors in orchestral programming, the Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award. Congratulations!

The American Prize—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming honors the memory of the great Lithuanian conductor, Maestro Vytautas Marijosius, music director of the Lithuanian State Opera, and for nearly thirty-five years Director of Orchestral Activities at the Hartt School of Music. The Prize recognizes and rewards the best achievement in the unique field of orchestral programming, where the selection of repertoire by knowledgeable, creative and courageous music directors builds orchestras and audiences, educates young people and adults, and enriches the community. Please click here to learn more about the career of Maestro Vytautas Marijosius.

Runners-up and winners will be selected from this list. To know the exact date when results will be announced, please like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter #AmericanPrize, where that information will be published first.

All contestants are reminded they are responsible for the viability of their online links to audition materials. Those links must remain active until complete the end of the contest year. Questions, or to make us aware of any misprints in the listings below, please email: theamericanprize@gmail.com

If you are not a finalist this year, please remember that the contests are not yet over. The American Prize reserves the right to award Honorable Mentions and Citations for Special Achievement to any contestant, regardless of final placement. TAP has honored a number of semi-finalists and quarter finalists in the past--to recognize a unique talent or focus, unusual repertoire, vital programming or outreach. Citations and Honorable Mentions are usually awarded at the same time as winners and runners-up, but can be presented at any time up to the last winners' announcement of the contest year.
  
We invite finalists to make the most of their selection by announcing it on social media, and including a link to this announcement on their website or blog. A sample announcement may be found at the end of the post.

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. The American Prize is unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, directors, ensembles and composers in the United States at professional, college/university, community and high school levels, based on submitted recordings. Now in its twelfth year, The American Prize was founded in 2010 and is awarded annually in many areas of the performing arts. Thousands of artists from all fifty states have derived benefit from their participation in the contests of The American Prize, representing literally hundreds of communities and arts organizations across the nation.  Information about the 2022-23 season of contests has been updated and applications are now being accepted. (http://theamericanprize.org)

***
 
NATIONAL FINALISTS: The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award, 2022

LeAnne Anklan/Eckart Preu
Cincinnati OH—Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra

Alexandra Dee
Indiana PA—Indiana University of Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra

Thomas Dickey
Oklahoma City OK 
OSU Symphony Orchestra

Michael Griffith
Laramie WY—University of Wyoming Symphony Orchestra

David W. Oertel
Austin TX—Starlight Symphony Orchestra

David A. Rahbee
Seattle WA—University of Washington Symphony Orchestra

*** 

We invite finalists to make the most of their selection by announcing it on social media, and including a link to this announcement on their website or blog. 

Here is a sample announcement:

"Great News! I've just been selected as a finalist in the (blank) division of The American Prize national non-profit competitions in the performing arts. Here's the link: (copy link here). The American Prize will be announcing results in my division soon. You can learn more about this prestigious national competition here: www.theamericanprize.org or follow the news on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-American-Prize-celebrating-American-excellence-in-the-arts/214320622728 or Twitter: https://twitter.com/americanprize "

Please feel free to modify or expand this announcement to suit your needs.

Congratulations to all finalists. 

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

MARIJOSIUS AWARD, 2021: Winners


Vytautas Marijosius
The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, David (Volosin) Katz, founder and chief judge, is honored to announce the 2021 winners and runners-up in orchestral programming, The Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award. Congratulations! 

The American Prize—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming honors the memory of the great Lithuanian conductor, Maestro Vytautas Marijosius, music director of the Lithuanian State Opera, and for nearly thirty-five years Director of Orchestral Activities at the Hartt School of Music. The Prize recognizes and rewards the best achievement in the unique field of orchestral programming, where the selection of repertoire by knowledgeable, creative and courageous music directors builds orchestras and audiences, educates young people and adults, and enriches the community.  

You can read more about Maestro Marijosius here: http://rememberingmarijosius.blogspot.com/2010/11/t-o-t-h-e-r-e-c-i-p-i-e-n-t-o-f-h-e-v-y.html
Or visit the collection of historic documents, programs and photographs of the artist here: https://marijosius.tumblr.com/

Complete listings of finalists and semi-finalists in The American Prize competitions may be found elsewhere on this blogPlease 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 Orchestral Programming / Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award—professional division, 2021

The American Prize winner:

Jason Lim  

McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra 

McKinney TX

Jason Lim
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 Master’s degree in orchestral conducting from the University of North Texas.


Known for his fine technique in performances and innovative programming, 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 winning 1st Prize in the New South Wales Ministry of Arts Conducting Prize. Most recently, in a competitive selection process, Jason was selected by the Texas Commission on the Arts into the Texas Touring Roster Inclusion. In 2016-2017 Jason was the 1st Prize Winner of the American Prize Competition for professional conductors. In 2015 Jason was the 2nd Prize Winner. Additionally, In 2016 Jason received the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for excellence in performing American Music.  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. Jason has also appeared as guest conductor with the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra and Johnstown Symphony Orchestras and has appeared as guest conductor with choruses around the globe. In addition, Jason's work extends to other art mediums such as visual arts and dance notably with collaborations with prominent dance choreographers like Bill Evans. Jason has also appeared as guest conductor of the Denton Bach Society and the American Baroque Opera Orchestra. 



2nd Place:

Wes Kenney   

Fort Collins Symphony   

Fort Collins   CO

Wes Kenney
Wes Kenney is celebrating his 18th season as Music Director of the Fort Collins (Colorado) Symphony and Director of Orchestras at Colorado State University. The former holds the distinction of being the only orchestra in the country to play a live July 4th concert in the country in 2020 He was also Music Director of Opera Fort Collins from 2004 to 2020. Wes Kenney is also in his 8th season with Denver Young Artist Orchestra—the premier youth orchestra in the state of Colorado.  


Mr. Kenney’s recent guest conducting activities include the Lviv Philharmonic in the Ukraine, Vietnam National Symphony in Hanoi, Changwon Symphony in South Korea, New Hampshire All-State, Acadiana Symphony (LA), New Mexico All-State, Lafayette (IN) Symphony, Alabama All-State Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony, Alabama Symphony, New Mexico Symphony, and Richmond Symphony. Mr. Kenney holds multiple ASCAP and American Prizes and is a former president of the Conductors Guild.



The American Prize in Orchestral Programming / Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award—college/university division, 2021

The American Prize winner:

Thomas Dickey 

OSU Symphony Orchestra

Stillwater   OK

Thomas Dickey
Dr. Thomas Dickey is the Director of Orchestral Studies at Oklahoma State University, where he conducts the OSU Symphony Orchestra and guides all aspects of the orchestra and graduate orchestral conducting programs.  He concurrently serves as Music Director & Conductor of the OSU Youth & Community Orchestras. Prior to his appointments in Oklahoma, he was the Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Music Director & Conductor of the Dubuque Symphony Youth Orchestra (IA). 


He holds doctoral and master's degrees in orchestral conducting from the University of Georgia and Louisiana State University, respectively, and graduated with highest honors from Eastern Illinois University. He has worked with conductors such as Carl Topilow, Christopher Zimmerman, Daniel Lewis, Gustav Meier, and Diane Wittry, and further studied conducting at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and numerous workshops and master classes.



2nd Place: 

David A. Rahbee 

University of Washington Symphony Orchestra

Seattle  WA

David Rahbee
David Alexander Rahbee is currently Senior Artist in Residence at the University of Washington School of Music in Seattle, where he is Director of Orchestral Activities and teaches conducting. He is recipient of the American-Austrian Foundation's 2003 Karajan Fellowship for Y oung Conductors, the 2005 International Richard-Wagner-Verband Stipend, and the Acanthes Centre in Paris in 2007. He has recently worked with the Seattle Symphony, Orchesterakademie der Bochumer Symphoniker, the Seattle Modern Orchestra, National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, Guernsey Symphony and Orquesta Sinfónica de Loja. He participated in masterclasses with Kurt Masur, Sir Colin Davis, Jorma Panula, Zdenk Mácal, Peter Eötvös, and Zoltán Peskó. His principal conducting teachers were Charles Bruck and Michael Jinbo at the Monteux School. He holds degrees from Indiana University, New England Conservatory, and University of Montreal. He also studied at Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Vienna.


3rd Place (there was a tie):

Jonathan Spatola-Knoll

Alma Symphony Orchestra   

Alma MI

Jonathan Spatola-Knoll

Dr. Jonathan Spatola-Knoll is an award-winning conductor, musicologist, and pianist based in Olympia, WA. A winner of the Vienna Philharmonic’s Ansbacher Fellowship for young conductors, recent highlights include a residency at the Salzburg Festival as well as appearances with the University of California, Davis Symphony and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. He applies his skills as a scholar and performer to revive undervalued repertoire, notably the music of composer and women’s rights activist Elfrida Andrée (1841-1929). As music director of music director of the Alma Symphony Orchestra at Alma College in Alma, Michigan he presented the Western-Hemisphere premiere of her Ouverture in G Minor. He recently completed his edition of her previously unpublished First Symphony, the earliest known symphony by a Swedish woman. An advocate of contemporary music, he has conducted the world premieres of William Cooper’s Ishmael, Christopher Castro’s Cavatine, Murray Gross’s Look in the Eyes of People You Don’t Know, and other operatic and orchestral compositions. www.jonathanspatolaknoll.com



3rd Place (there was a tie):

Ubaldo Valli  

Hamilton College Orchestra

Clinton  NY

Ubaldo Valli
Ubaldo Valli is Music Director/Conductor of the SUNY Cortland College-Community Orchestra as well as director of the Pierstown Concert Series (Cooperstown NY).  He co-founded and conducted the Northeast String Orchestra (Albany, NY) and the Saratoga Springs Youth Symphony and also served as Music Director and/or Conductor of the Hamilton College Orchestra, the Auburn (NY) Chamber Orchestra, the Saratoga Springs Youth Orchestra and the Empire State Youth Orchestra String Ensemble and Advanced Chamber Ensemble.  In demand as a guest conductor, Valli has conducted widely: at festivals, for Music’s Recreation (Ithaca, NY), at Ithaca College and for an interfaith service held with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama of Tibet. He studied conducting with Jeffrey Meyer, Pamela Gearhart and Karel Husa.  He has also studied and performed theater improvisation internationally and in 2018 presented a paper linking orchestral conducting and performance with improv at the Oxford Conducting Institute Conducting Studies Conference, University of Oxford.



The American Prize in Orchestral Programming / Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award—community division, 2021

The American Prize winner:

Thomas Rainey

Williamson County Symphony Orchestra

Round Rock   TX

Thomas Rainey
The Williamson County Symphony Orchestra was formed in 2002 by Dr. Thomas E. "Doc" Rainey with the mission of encouraging the general public to come listen to great music.  He molds the 85-member Orchestra, staffed entirely by volunteer musicians, into a near-professional level ensemble.  And, Doc instituted the programming formula that brings in over-flow audiences.


Under Dr Rainey and recently Conor Brace's steady leadership, the Orchestra performs FREE "pops-styled" concerts with a mixture of music from the classical, both romantic & modern periods, movies & TV, contemporary, jazz, and religious genres of music and new compositions from Composer-in-Resident, Dr ML Daniels.  The FREE concerts are pitched toward families, seniors, and the general public.  The Orchestra, directed by Doc, performs a two-concert series four times a year - Fall, Christmas, Spring, & Outdoor - at venues across Williamson County plus one FREE concert for troops and families at Ft Hood.



2nd Place:

David W. Oertel   

Starlight Symphony Orchestra

Wimberley. TX

David Oertel
David William Oertel is the Music Director and Conductor of the Starlight Symphony Orchestra (TX) and the Austin Philharmonic. David Oertel is co-author of the Daniels’ Orchestral Music,  6th Edition (2022). Oertel is also co-author of Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide, Omnibus Edition (2019). He has appeared with several orchestras and has been on the faculty of universities in North Carolina. Oertel received a Bachelors from the University of North Texas, a Masters from the University of Houston and a Doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Oertel’s influential mentors include Robert Linder, David Daniels, Max Rudolf, Hans Graf, Niklaus Wyss, Adrian Gnam, Franz Krager, and David Holley.  


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Congratulations!

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, David (Volosin) Katz, founder and chief judge, is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the musical and theater arts. The American Prize is nonprofit, unique in scope and structure, and is designed to evaluate, recognize and reward the best performers, composers, conductors, ensembles and directors in the United States, at professional, college/university, community and school levels, based on submitted recordings. There is no live competition. 


Founded in 2010 and now celebrating its eleventh year, The American Prize has awarded nearly $100,000 in prizes in all categories since its creation. Thousands of artists representing all fifty states have derived benefit from their participation in the contests of  The American Prize. 


The American Prize will accept applications for the 2021-22 contest season through September 14, 2021 or by extension request.  www.theamericanprize.org 

Thursday, June 24, 2021

MARIJOSIUS AWARD, 2021: finalists


Maestro Vytautas Marijosius

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, David (Volosin) Katz, founder and chief judge, is pleased to announce 2021 FINALIST conductors in orchestral programming, the Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award. Congratulations!


The American Prize—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming honors the memory of the great Lithuanian conductor, Maestro Vytautas Marijosius, music director of the Lithuanian State Opera, and for nearly thirty-five years Director of Orchestral Activities at the Hartt School of Music. The Prize recognizes and rewards the best achievement in the unique field of orchestral programming, where the selection of repertoire by knowledgeable, creative and courageous music directors builds orchestras and audiences, educates young people and adults, and enriches the community. Please click here to learn more about the career of Maestro Vytautas Marijosius.

Runners-up and winners will be selected from this list. To know the exact date when results will be announced, please like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter #AmericanPrize, where that information will be published first.

All contestants are reminded they are responsible for the viability of their online links to audition materials. Those links must remain active until complete the end of the contest year. Questions, or to make us aware of any misprints in the listings below, please email: theamericanprize@gmail.com

If you are not a finalist this year, please remember that the contests are not yet over. The American Prize reserves the right to award Honorable Mentions and Citations for Special Achievement to any contestant, regardless of final placement. TAP has honored a number of semi-finalists and quarter finalists in the past--to recognize a unique talent or focus, unusual repertoire, vital programming or outreach. Citations and Honorable Mentions are usually awarded at the same time as winners and runners-up, but can be presented at any time up to the last winners' announcement of the contest year.
  
We invite finalists to make the most of their selection by announcing it on social media, and including a link to this announcement on their website or blog. A sample announcement may be found at the end of the post.

COVID EXTENSIONS to APPLY for 2022: Because of the current national and international situation, many rules have been changed and requirements eased to make it easier to apply for The American Prize, 2022. In addition, application deadlines have been extended with further extensions available by email request. 

Applications from COMPOSERS, CLASSICAL VOCALISTS, PIANISTS, CHAMBER ENSEMBLES and INSTRUMENTAL SOLOISTS will be accepted through the revised deadline of Tuesday, July 20, 2021. 

Applications from CONDUCTORS, STAGE DIRECTORS, CONDUCTED ENSEMBLES, ARTS ADMINISTRATORS (arts marketing, arts education) in the performance of American Music (BACON AWARD) and in the new category of VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE will be accepted until Tuesday, July 20, 2021. 

Visit theamericanprize.org for complete contest information.

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NATIONAL FINALISTS: The American Prize in Orchestral Programming / Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award—professional division, 2021

Wes Kenney   

Fort Collins Symphony   

Fort Collins   CO


Jason Lim  

McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra 

McKinney TX

  


NATIONAL FINALISTS: The American Prize in Orchestral Programming / Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award—college/university division, 2021

Thomas Dickey 

OSU Symphony Orchestra

Stillwater   OK


David A. Rahbee 

University of Washington Symphony Orchestra

Seattle  WA


Jonathan Spatola Knoll

Alma Symphony Orchestra   

Alma MI


Ubaldo Valli  

Hamilton College Orchestra

Clinton  NY


Luis Viquez 

University of South Dakota Symphony Orchestra  

Vermillion   SD 




NATIONAL FINALISTS: The American Prize in Orchestral Programming / Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award—community division, 2021


David W. Oertel   

Starlight Symphony Orchestra

Wimberley. TX


Thomas Rainey

Williamson County Symphony Orchestra

Round Rock   TX


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We invite finalists to make the most of their selection by announcing it on social media, and including a link to this announcement on their website or blog. 

Here is a sample announcement:

"Great News! I've just been selected as a finalist in the (blank) division of The American Prize national non-profit competitions in the performing arts. Here's the link: (copy link here). The American Prize will be announcing results in my division soon. You can learn more about this prestigious national competition here: www.theamericanprize.org or follow the news on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-American-Prize-celebrating-American-excellence-in-the-arts/214320622728 or Twitter: https://twitter.com/americanprize "

Please feel free to modify or expand this announcement to suit your needs.

Congratulations to all finalists.