Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The VYTAUTAS MARIJOSIUS MEMORIAL AWARD in ORCHESTRAL PROGRAMMING, 2013

Maestro Vytautas Marijosius
The American Prize is pleased to announce the WINNER and runners-up for The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Maestro Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award, 2013. (For other 2013 ensemble and conducting winners, please scroll up or down or use the archive feature to the right.)

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

From David Katz, chief judge: "The third annual contest for The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Maestro Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award, attracted more of the country's most persuasive and creative music directors—individuals who would be no more likely to program a concert with a standard overture followed by a standard concerto, followed by a standard intermission, followed by a standard symphony as they would be to conduct standing on their heads. These are conductors who recognize program-planning as central to the growth of their ensembles, the enrichment of their audiences and the future of the art.

In 2013, The American Prize has selected one national winner and two runners-up. Each of these music directors is worthy of special recognition; each creates programs with the unique circumstances of their ensemble and their constituency clearly in mind. I hope to elaborate on their strengths in a future blog post. I applaud them all.

For nearly thirty five years Director of Orchestral Activities at the Hartt School, Vytautas Marijosius programmed concerts that were alive in every sense—not programming for novelty’s sake alone, nor neglecting the great masters of the past—but always bringing to the awareness of his students and his audiences great composers of the current time and potential masters of the future. I believe he would be pleased in different ways with each of this year's honorees." —DK

For more about Maestro Marijosius, please visit the companion blog here.

The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Maestro Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award

The American Prize Winner:
Jason Love   Columbia Orchestra   Ellicott City, MD

Jason Love
As Music Director of the Columbia Orchestra, Jason Love has been praised for his “intelligent and innovative programming” by the Baltimore Sun, who noted that “Love has the musicians playing not only with verve and passion, but with an awareness to enter into the emotional core of the works they perform.” During his tenure with the Greater Baltimore Youth Orchestras he forged community partnerships, led concert tours of Austria, Japan, and Russia and helped create its Bridges program to provide instruments and lessons for hundreds of Baltimore children. Love has premiered dozens of works and was co-founder of Baltimore’s new music group, the New Horizons Chamber Ensemble.
Love has guest conducted a wide variety of ensembles including the Baltimore Symphony, Washington Sinfonietta, Hopkins Chamber Orchestra, and the new music ensemble RUCKUS. He is the 2008 Winner of the “Howie” Outstanding Artist Award, recognizing achievement in the arts in Howard County, Maryland.

Among judges' comments: "A courageous programmer with a clear vision for his audience and his ensemble...Impressive."

2nd Place:
Tara Villa Keith  Lee County Community Orchestra   Sanford, NC "An Orchestral Bouquet"
Tara Villa Keith
Tara Villa Keith is in her tenth season as music director of the Davidson College Symphony Orchestra in Davidson, North Carolina, and in her fourth season with the Lee County Community Orchestra in Sanford, North Carolina.  Keith has conducted various orchestras across the south, including the Union Symphony Orchestra, Macon Symphony Orchestra, and Hot Springs Music Festival Orchestra.  Abroad, Keith has worked with several orchestras across Europe and in Brazil.  She has won conducting competitions and contests in Bulgaria and Germany with the help of grants from the Global Partners Project and the League of American Orchestras, and won North Carolina’s Metrolina Theatre Association’s Award for Outstanding Musical Direction/Conducting in 2011.

Among judges' comments: "delightfully creative programming and marketing ideas...absolutely charming, effective and appropriate." 

3rd Place:
Alyze Dreiling   YPO Soloist Ensemble   San Diego, CA

Alyze Dreiling
Presently Ms. Dreiling is on the adjunct faculty at University of San Diego and faculty for the USD Chamber Music Festival and is adjunct faculty at Grossmont College. She is the violinist with Trio Licenza, the piano trio, in residence at USD, she also performs as violist with Grossmont Symphony String Quartet, and she is the violinist with The California Consort, founded by legendary contrabassist, Bertram Turetzky. Violinis/Violist, Alyze Dreiling was born in Detroit, Michigan. She began her studies with Mischa Mischakoff. Ms. Dreiling graduated from Indiana University where she studied with Josef Gingold. Since then she has appeared as soloist with the Detroit Symphony, Philharmonica Hungarica at the Vienna Summer Festival, the Florida Chamber Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony, Knoxville Chamber Orchestra to name a few. Ms. Dreiling was founding Artistic Director/ Conductor of Classics for Kids. Alyze also served as the Violinist/Conductor of the International Chamber Players at USIU. She has played concertmaster for Donna Summers, Smoky Robinson, Dionne Warwick and Tom Scott, and for shows at the Old Globe, Civic Auditorium, LaJolla Playhouse, Lawrence Welk and Starlight Theater. She has also played with San Diego Symphony, San Diego Chamber Orchestra and Hutchins Consort.
 

Among judges' comments: "Working in an educational setting, Dreiling mixes ancient masters and modern music in ways that cannot but help embolden her students for a lifetime of musical exploration."

***

Congratulations!

Monday, July 29, 2013

The American Prize—Vytautas MARIJOSIUS programming award FINALISTS for 2013

Vytautas Marijosius / Berlin State Orchestra
The American Prize is pleased to announce the 2013 finalists for the Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming. For a complete list of conductor finalists in all categories, please follow this link to The American Prize blog: http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2013/07/conductor-finalists-2013-in-all.html

Winners will be announced next month.

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—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming recognizes the music director(s) in America who, in the opinion of the judges, have created the best season(s) of orchestral concerts during the past year in the United States. The winner(s) may not necessarily be the conductor(s) who have programmed the most new music (although premieres and commissions may work to a music director’s advantage.) Rather, the judges seek evidence of inspiration and creativity from concert to concert, a balance of the familiar with the less well-known in interesting combinations, creating what appears to be a unified whole.

Vytautas Marijosius
FINALISTS: The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award, 2013

John Stickler   Gulf Coast Symphony  
   Biloxi, MS

Donald L. Appert   Clark College Orchestra  
   Vancouver, WA

Jason Love   Columbia Orchestra  
   Ellicott City, MD

Tara Towson Villa   Lee County Community Orchestra  
   Sanford, NC

Tara Towson Villa   Davidson College Symphony Orchestra  
   Davidson, NC

Jeffery Meyer   Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra  
   Ithaca, NY

Alyze Dreiling   YPO Soloist Ensemble  
   San Diego, CA

Congratulations to the finalists!

Friday, March 15, 2013

MARIJOSIUS AWARD honors CREATIVE PROGRAMMING—2013 deadline approaching

Maestro Vytautas Marijosius (right) in audience with Pope Paul VI.Darbininkas, September 1, 1970.
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—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming recognizes the music director(s) in America who, in the opinion of the judges, have created the best season(s) of orchestral concerts during the past year in the United States. The winner(s) may not necessarily be the conductor(s) who have programmed the most new music (although premieres and commissions may work to a music director’s advantage.) Rather, the judges seek evidence of inspiration and creativity from concert to concert, a balance of the familiar with the less well-known in interesting combinations, creating what appears to be a unified whole.

EXTENDED POSTMARK DEADLINE for APPLICATIONS: Thursday, April 4, 2013. Complete information on the website: http://www.theamericanprize.org/orchprog.html 

Scroll down for recent winners profiled in earlier posts.

Winners of The American Prize receive cash awards, award certificates, and unbiased written evaluations from our national panel of distinguished judges, but more importantly, laureates of The American Prize at all levels of achievement derive local, regional and national recognition to help them generate jobs, build audiences and sustain careers.

For more about Maestro Marijosius, please scroll down.