by Magen Solomon, DMA
Chair, Julius Herford Prize Subcommittee
On behalf of the National Research and Publications committee of the American Choral Directors Association, I am pleased to formally announce that the winner of the 2011 Julius Herford Dissertation Prize:
Dr. Kevin O’Brien for his dissertation “Russell Woollen: Catalogue and Contextual Examination of the Sacred Music.”
Dr. O’Brien received his degree from The Catholic University of America under the direction of Leo Nestor in 2011.
In his recommendation letter Dean G. Grayson Wagstaff wrote, “When the Woolen archives were deposed at the Library of Congress and the topic of Kevin’s dissertation was made known, the LOC asked Kevin to be the official cataloger of the collection…. As a result of this position and the research undertaken for the dissertation, Dr. O’Brien was asked to author the entry on Russell Woollen for the forthcoming second edition of the New Grove Dictionary of American Music and Musicians….. Dr. O’Brien’s treatise provides scholar-conductors with an annotated catalogue of the entire oeuvre, with a comprehensive biography and insightful information on the choral canon, enriched through exhaustive interviews and correspondence with the composer’s wife, family, colleagues, commissioners, performers and conductors. In its published form, it should be a shelf book for American conductors hungry for distinctive American choral music.”
The committee’s comments included the following: “an exhaustive study supported by multiple resources… very thorough history of Roman Catholic church music and composers;” “a mature writer and a very fine story-teller… Woollen has been effectively revived;” “a cogent presentation of important music.” All committee members felt it made a contribution of the highest caliber to the body of choral scholarship.
Dr. O’Brien is currently a Lecturer in Music at the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music of The Catholic University of America, teaching undergraduate choral conducting, music theory, and conducting two of the school’s five choruses. He is in his tenth year as Music Director at St. Peter’s Church on Capitol Hill, and is active as conductor in both the CUA and Washington communities.
He received his BM in Sacred Music (organ concentration) from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, and hold M.M. and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Sacred Music from The Catholic University of America.
Each year the Julius Herford Prize Subcommittee accepts nominations for the outstanding doctoral terminal research project in choral music. Projects are eligible if they comprise the principal research component of the degree requirements, whether the institution defines the project as a “dissertation,” “document,” “thesis,” or “treatise,” etc. Eligibility is limited to doctoral recipients whose degrees were conferred during the calendar year prior to the year of nomination. The winner receives a $1000.00 cash prize and a commemorative plaque.
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