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| Maestro Vytautas Marijosius |
The American Prize is proud to announce the winners, runners-up and honorable mentions of
The American Prize in Orchestral Programming—Maestro Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award, 2016-17.
Awards were made in three divisions this year: college/university
orchestras, community orchestras and youth orchestras. All the results
are below.
Please make us aware of any misprints by emailing: theamericanprize@gmail.com
For nearly thirty five years
Director of Orchestral Activities at the Hartt School of Music of the University of Hartford, Vytautas
Marijosius programmed concerts that were alive in every sense—not
programming for novelty’s sake, 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
—College/University Orchestra Division
The American Prize Winner:
James Allen Anderson
University of Delaware Symphony Orchestra
Newark DE
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| James Allen Anderson |
Hailed
for his inventive programming and compelling interpretations, maestro
James Allen Anderson continues to engage audiences with inspirational
and entertaining performances worldwide. Trained as both a conductor and
pianist, he studied with maestro David Effron at the Eastman School of
Music and with maestro Tonu Kalam and pianist Michael Zenge at the
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Additional studies include
two seasons at Le Domain Forget under the tutelage of Pierre Hétu and
Otto-Werner Mueller.
Since 2011 maestro Anderson has served
as Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of Delaware. In
previous positions Anderson held the post of Music Director of the Butte
Symphony Association, cover conductor with the North Carolina Symphony,
Director of Orchestral Activities at both Appalachian State University
and the University of Montana. He is in demand as a guest conductor,
having worked with ensembles in North and South America, Europe and
Asia.
2nd Place:
David Rahbee
University of Washington Symphony Orchestra
Seattle WA
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| 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 also serves
of faculty of the Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival as
Conducting Associate. 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,
Orchesterakademie der Bochumer Symphoniker, the Seattle Modern
Orchestra, 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.
3rd Place:
Peter Askim
The Next Festival of Emerging Artists
The Raleigh Civic Symphony Orchestra
Raleigh NC
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| Peter Askim |
Active
as a conductor, composer and bassist, Peter Askim is the Artistic
Director of the Next Festival of Emerging Artists and the conductor of
the Raleigh Civic Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, as well as Director of
Orchestral Activities at North Carolina State University. He was
formerly Music Director and Composer-in-Residence of the Idyllwild Arts
Academy.
A dedicated champion of the music of our time, he has
premiered numerous works, including works by composers Richard
Danielpour, Nico Muhly, Christopher Theofanidis, Pierre Jalbert, Phil
Kline, Rufus Reid, Chen Yi and Aaron Jay Kernis. He has collaborated
with such artists as the Miró String Quartet, ETHEL Matt Haimovitz,
Vijay Iyer and Sō Percussion.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Jaemi Loeb
Centre College Orchestra
Danville KY
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| Jaemi Loeb |
Jaemi
Blair Loeb is the Director of Instrumental Ensembles at Centre College,
where she is Music Director of both the Centre College Orchestra and
Wind Ensemble. She is also Principal Guest Conductor of the Piccadilly
Symphony Orchestra in Manchester, England and the Director of the
International Conductors’ Festival - Danville. Jaemi’s work as a music
director is always driven by the goal of building community within the
ensemble and the audience. On the podium, she balances her musical
vision with a collaborative mode of working to create exciting and
emotional performances. To learn more, visit
www.jaemiloeb.com.
The American Prize in Orchestral Programming
Maestro Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award
—Community Orchestra Division
The American Prize Winner:
Anthony Spain
Northwest Symphony Orchestra
Seattle WA
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| Anthony Spain |
Anthony
Spain has been Music Director of the Northwest Symphony Orchestra
(NWSO) since 1987. Dr. Spain has guest conducted orchestras throughout
America and in Europe including the Seattle Symphony, and the Bath
Philharmonia in Bath, England. He has been a cover conductor with the
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and recently guest conducted in Hong
Kong and Honduras. A noted conductor of works with orchestra and choir,
Dr. Spain has conducted several choirs in America and in Europe
including the Orfeo International Orchestra with the choir of L’UNESCO
(the cultural branch of the United Nations) in Paris, France. Dedicated
to education, Dr. Spain is an active clinician and adjudicator. Spain
graduated with a Doctorate Degree in Music from the University of
Washington and has received numerous awards and honors including a
Grammy nomination.
2nd Place:
Pia Liptak & Kathleen Suher
Cordancia Chamber Orchestra
Rochester NY
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| Pia Liptak & Kathleen Suher |
CORDANCIA: Vibrant Music for a Vibrant Community
Founded by violinist Pia Liptak and oboist Kathleen Suher
Formed 2009; a not-for-profit since June 2010
www.cordancia.org
Kathleen
and Pia serves as co-artistic directors of Cordancia as well as being
members of the ensemble, respectively as principal oboist and
concert-master. Pia Liptak earned her DMA in violin performance and
literature from the Eastman School of Music. She is on the faculty of
the Hochstein School of Music and Dance and performs as a soloist and
chamber musician. She has recorded a number of CDs and been much
involved in the contemporary music scene. Kathleen, a graduate of
Syracuse University College of Law, is a real estate attorney in
Rochester. She studied with Richard Killmer at Eastman and Anita Brandon
and is currently performing in a number of musical ensembles, including
serving as the principal oboist of the University of Rochester Symphony
Orchestra.
3rd Place:
Donald L. Appert
The Jewish Community Orchestra of Portland
Portland OR
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| Donald L. Appert |
Donald
Appert has been Music Director/Conductor of the Jewish Community
Orchestra in Portland, Oregon since 2012. He has guest conducted
orchestras in Europe, Central America, Japan and Australia. Currently he
is a Professor of Music and Head of the Music Department at Clark
College in Vancouver, Washington. In addition he is the Music
Director/Conductor of the Clark College Orchestra and of the Oregon
Sinfonietta. He received The American Prize in Orchestral
Programming—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in 2011, an Honorable
Mention in 2012, 3rd Place in 2014, and 2nd Place in 2015. He was also
Honored Artist of the American Prize in 2015. In 2014 he received the
Clark County (WA) Arts Commission Lifetime Achievement in the Arts
Award. He has received the ASCAPLUS Award numerous times. Videos of his
conducting and his original compositions may be seen and heard via the
Internet on his web site at
www.maestrodonappert.com.
The American Prize in Orchestral Programming
Maestro Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award
—Youth Orchestra Division
The American Prize Winner:
Orlando Cela
NC Governor's School Orchestra
Winston-Salem NC
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| Orlando Cela |
Recently
appointed music director of the Arlington Philharmonic (MA), Orlando
Cela’s experience includes launching the orchestral department at Ningbo
University in China and conducting the inaugural concert of the Ningbo
City Symphony Orchestra. In the US, his conducting positions include
work with orchestras and choruses at Randolph College (VA), and UMass
Dartmouth (MA). Guest conducting credits include the Marquette Symphony
Orchestra (MI), the Northern Michigan State University Orchestra (MI),
Brandeis New Music Ensemble (MA). He is currently the music director
and conductor of the orchestra of the Governor’s School of North
Carolina, with which he has performed world and American premieres by
composers like Salvatore Sciarrino, Chen Yi, Hector Parra, Rebecca
Saunders, Alwynne Pritchard, and many others.
2nd Place:
Robert Boardman
South Bend Youth Symphony
South Bend, IN
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| Robert Boardman |
Robert
W. Boardman, a native of Ithaca, New York is currently Music Director
and Conductor of the South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestras, and Artistic
Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's webcast, "Life from
Orchestra Hall." He has assisted Marin Alsop at the Cabrillo Festival of
Contemporary Music, and served as Associate Conductor for CAMI's
worldwide tour of Howard Shore's "The Lord of the Rings Symphony."
Boardman received the DMA of Orchestral Conducting from the University
of Michigan in 2010 where he studied with Kenneth Kiesler. He has
participated in dozens of workshops nationwide and been a participant in
masterclasses with conductors Larry Rachleff, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Mazur,
Gustav Meier, JoAnn Falletta, and many other fine pedagogues.
Third Place:
Alyze Dreiling
YPO Soloists Ensemble
San Diego CA
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| Alyze Dreiling |
Alyze Dreiling,
www.alyzedreiling.com
is an award-winning conductor, and accomplished violinist and violist
in San Diego. In addition to serving as the YPO Soloists Ensemble
Artistic Director and Conductor since 2010, she conducts the San Diego
Civic Youth Orchestra Symphonic Orchestra and has guest conducted the
San Diego Master Chorale and Cabrillo Chamber Orchestra to name a few.
She was also the founding Artistic Director and Conductor of Classics
for Kids, a fully professional orchestra performing specialty youth
concerts in the San Diego area. Ms. Dreiling’s performing violin credits
include: soloist with the Detroit Symphony, Philharmonica Hungarica at
the Vienna Summer Festival, Florida Chamber Orchestra, concertmaster of
the Knoxville Symphony and Knoxville Chamber Orchestra. With composer,
Myron Fink, she received a recording prize from Contemporary Recording
Society for the production and release of a CD featuring Fink’s Violin
Sonata #1 and subsequently the Violin Sonata #2
HONORABLE MENTION:
Farkhad Khudyev
Youth Music Monterey
Monterey CA
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| Farkhad Khudyev |
Hailed
for “ever-sensitive control and extraordinarily imaginative
interpretation", Farkhad Khudyev has served as the Music Director of the
New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra, New Haven Chamber Orchestra, as
well as the Associate Conductor of the Opera Hidden Valley and the
Alternate Conductor for the Cleveland Orchestra. As a Guest Conductor,
Mr. Khudyev has worked with the Monterey Symphony, Yale Symphony
Orchestra, Yale Philharmonia, Greenwich Village Orchestra of New York
City, Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Youth Symphony and
the Taipei Chinese Orchestra. Currently, Mr. Khudyev serves as the
Music Director of the Youth Music Monterey Orchestras. Farkhad studied
at the State Music School of Ashgabat, Interlochen Arts Academy, Oberlin
Conservatory and the Yale School of Music. He is the winner of the
Grand Prize/Gold Medal of the 2007 National Fischoff Chamber Music
Competition and the first American Conductor to receive the "Best
Interpretation Prize" at the 2015 International Taipei Conducting
Competition.
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Congratulations!
