The American Prize

Last updated

The American Prize is a set of annual nonprofit national competitions in the performing arts which recognizes and rewards commercial and noncommercial recorded performances of classical music in the United States based on submitted applications. There is no live competition. [1] The award is bestowed at professional, college/university, community, and high school levels in a number of areas including composition, piano, voice, chamber music, conducting, and ensemble performance. [2] [3] The jury consists of well known performing artists in each area, with the conductor and composer David Katz serving as chief judge. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Contents

Artists and ensembles self-nominate through an application process or are nominated by a teacher, parent, board member or colleague. [11] Evaluation is a key component of the competition; applicants who reach finalist status or higher receive a written evaluation from a member of the judging panel. Judges include composer Judith Lang Zaimont, Metropolitan Opera soprano Sharon Sweet, and others. [12] Winners of each category receive a cash award.

Composition winners

Source: [13]

Professional Division

OrchestraChoralChamber MusicBand/Wind EnsembleOpera / Theater / Film / Dance
2011Jesse AyersTed Vivesnot awardednot awardednot awarded
2012Michael GatonskaBrian Holmesnot awardednot awardednot awarded
2013Alessandra SalvatiJonathan SantoreMichael DeakAleksander Sternfeld-Dunnnot awarded
2014Gregg Wramage Dominick DiOrio Piotr SzewczykLaurence BitenskyTodd Goodman
2015Angelique PoteatTravis Alfordtie: David Garner /

Judith Lang Zaimont

David Avshalomov Yiguo Yan
2016Jennifer Bellor Lansing McLoskey Justin Dello Joio Miguel Roig-Francolí Justin Dello Joio
2017Brian Ciach(pending)instrumental: Ching-chu Hu /

choral: (pending)

Robert Denham Jocelyn Hagen
2019 Nilo Alcala Eric W. Sawyer
2020Tyler Goodrich Whitemajor works: John Muehleisen /

shorter works: Donald Skirvin

instrumental: Jakub Polaczyk /

vocal: William Vollinger

Shawn Okpebholo Zach Redler
2021Ruihan YangMichael Bussewitz-QuarmNickitas DemosKyle KindredDave Ragland

College/University Division

OrchestraChoralChamber MusicBand/Wind EnsembleOpera / Theater / Film / Dance
2013Roberto KalbJoshua Fishbeinnot awardednot awardednot awarded
2014Texu KimSaunder ChoiRodrigo Bussadnot awardednot awarded
2015Patrick O’MalleyKyle RandallDerek Davidnot awardednot awarded
2016Jihyun KimMatthew RecioLara PoeDerek JenkinsGeorgi Dimitrov (student division)
2017Antonio Juan Marcos(pending)instrumental: Olga Amelkina-Vera /

choral: (pending)

Tyler BouqueMichele Cheng
2021Patrick Holcombnot awardedLiam DiethrichAndrew FaulkenberryNathaniel Trost
2023(pending)Frank Duarte(pending)(pending)(pending)

Piano Winners

Source: [13]

Professional Division

SoloConcerto
2011Lin-Yu WangSarah S. Chan
2012Nathanael Maynot awarded
2013 Petronel Malan Anthony Michael Cornet
2014 Nassib Nassar Kasandra Keeling
2015Michael AngelucciBill John Newbrough
2016Jeremy SamoleskyThomas Yee
2017-18 Roberto Plano Richard Bosworth
2018-19Svetlana BelskyTzu-Yin Huang
2019-20Lei WengAnna Dmytrenko
2021Liana PaniyevaSusan Merdinger
2022Yifei XuCristian Makhuli
2023Sophia AgranovichSergei Kvitko
2024Anjun ZhengEmiko Edwards

College/University Division

SoloConcerto
2011Sora ParkGeorge Hemcher
2012Azariah TanAzariah Tan
2013not awardednot awarded
2014Hyunki Yoonnot awarded
2015Anna Dmytrenkonot awarded
2016Eunsun SoNathan Cheung
2017-18Nicholas SusiXiao Chen
2018-19John WilsonAoshuang Li
2019-20Chenyu WangBogyeong Lee
2021Jen-Hao YehYang Li
2022Kiwa Mizutaninot awarded
2023Junwen Liangnot awarded
2024not awardednot awarded

Voice Winners

Source: [13]

Professional Division

Opera / Operetta (women)Opera / Operetta (men)Art Song / Oratorio (women)Art Song / Oratorio (men)
2011 Laura Strickling Jonathan Beyer Christine SteyerBlake Friedman
2012 Suzanne Vinnik Christian Ketter Sharin ApostolouMatthew Garrett
2013 Suzanne Vinnik Christian Ketter Emily MarvoshDarren Chase
2014 Megan Marino Mitchell Hutchings Sarah DavisLeo Rado
2015 Aundi Marie Moore Peter Lightfoot Tania CoambsJorell Williams
2016Samantha BrittKeith BrownMargaret LiasStephen Lancaster
2017-18Meredith MecumRyan Francis BurnsKristina BachrachJustin John Moniz
2018-19Jacqueline PiccolinoLogan TannerEmily Yocum BlackJustin John Moniz
2019-20Madison Marie McIntoshLeo RadosavljevicAnn CraveroBryan Pinkall
2021Jacquelyn MatavaWayd OdleLoralee SongerRyan Townsend Strand

College/University Division

Opera / Operetta (women)Opera / Operetta (men)Art Song / Oratorio (women)Art Song / Oratorio (men)
2015Sarah BauerGaleano SalasPaulina Nastasha Yeungnot awarded
2016Natalie LoganQuinn BerneggerSamantha SchmidQuinn Bernegger
2017tie: Sarah Cooper / Kellie MotterBen M. ReisingerLauren Elizabeth WalkerDavid John Davani
2021Kim Kennynot awardedSolene Le VanMorgan Manifacier

Orchestral Winners

Soure: [13]

Professional Division

Orchestral performanceConducting
2010Lancaster Festival OrchestraGary Sheldon, Lancaster Festival Orchestra
2011Pensacola Symphony OrchestraChristopher Zimmerman, Fairfax Symphony Orchestra
2012National PhilharmonicDirk Meyer, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra
2013not awardednot awarded
2014 Park Avenue Chamber Symphony not awarded
2015 Western Piedmont Symphony Olivier Ochanine, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
2016
2018 Allentown Symphony Orchestra
2019 Symphony Number One David Bernard
2019-20Cape Cod Chamber OrchestraMarkand Thakar

College/University Division

Orchestral performanceConducting
2010Texas Chamber Group OrchestraRicardo Averbach, Oxford Chamber Orchestra
2011 University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra Kenneth Kiesler, University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra
2012University of North Carolina Symphony OrchestraGemma New, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
2013not awardednot awarded
2014St. Olaf Orchestranot awarded
2015 Baylor Symphony OrchestraBoon Hua Lien, Eastman Philharmonia

Choral Winners

Source: [13]

Professional Division

Choral performance
2010 Roomful of Teeth
2011 Washington Bach Consort
2012not awarded
2013not awarded
2014not awarded
2015 Houston Chamber Choir
2019-20co-winners: Dallas Chamber Choir /

mirabai

College/University Division

Choral performance
2010 Washington & Jefferson College Camerata Singers
2011 Mansfield University Concert Choir
2012 East Carolina University Chamber Singers
2013 Iowa State Singers
2014 The University of North Dakota Concert Choir
2015 USC Thornton Chamber Singers

References

  1. "The American Prize rewards the best-recorded performances by individual artists and ensembles in the U.S." MidlandsBiz, Columbia, SC, October 8, 2014.
  2. Eiseman, Lee. "National Prize Recognizes Local Composer." The Boston Musical Intelligencer, September 24, 2014.
  3. "Michael Angelucci Wins the American Prize in Piano," The Peabody Post, November 16, 2015.
  4. Lewis, John. "Tom Hall & Choral Arts Win American Prize Awards." Baltimore, October 22, 2014.
  5. "UNLV Opera director wins American Prize." Las Vegas Review-Journal, October 21, 2014.
  6. "Tara Curtis places second in The American Prize in Voice." KCMetropolis, Kansas City, KS, September 16, 2014.
  7. "Nashville composer Daniel Elder shines in the American Prize." ArtsNash, Nashville, TN, September 26, 2014.
  8. "Crane director wins 'The American Prize in Opera Performance' for Menotti's opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors." North Country Now, Potsdam, NY, January 2, 2013.
  9. "SSYO Places Third Nationally in the American Prize Competition." Saratoga Today, Saratoga Springs, NY, October 18, 2013.
  10. "Composer Michael Gatonska Awarded The American Prize in Composition." June 11, 2012, www.ascap.com, accessed November 1, 2022
  11. "FAQs". www.theamericanprize.org. Retrieved Sep 11, 2019.
  12. "Judges 2017-18". www.theamericanprize.org. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "The American Prize". theamericanprize.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2018-04-15.