For Immediate Release
CONTACT: David Katz, chief judge of The American Prize at
DATE: April 26, 2016
TELEPHONE: 203 746-2694
WEBSITE: www.theamericanprize.org
THE AMERICAN PRIZE for choral conductors and choral ensembles, 2016: DEADLINE, Tuesday, May 17th.
TUESDAY, May 17, 2016 is the postmark deadline for CHORAL CONDUCTORS and CHORAL ENSEMBLES to apply for The American Prize, 2016, the national nonprofit competitions in the performing arts. Applications are welcomed from choral ensembles of all types.
Additionally, in 2016, the new ERNST BACON MEMORIAL AWARD for the Performance of American Music welcomes applications from choruses who perform with orchestra, and their conductors.
Cash awards, professional adjudication, award certificates and regional, national and international recognition will be presented to winners of The American Prize, a major series of non-profit performing arts contests now in its seventh season. There is no live competition. The American Prize judges recorded performances only. There are no age limits. The American Prize has awarded more than $40,000 in all categories since 2010.
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CONDUCTORS:
Applications from CONDUCTORS of CHORUSES, companies are welcomed for The American Prize in Conducting and the new ERNST BACON MEMORIAL AWARD in the Performance of American Music. There are separate categories for professional, college/university, community and high school conductors.
Official rules, complete information and application forms may be found here: http://
www.theamericanprize.org/Conducting.html
For the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award in the Performance of American Music: http://
www.theamericanprize.org/AmericanMusic.html
You can read the official announcement of the ERNST BACON MEMORIAL AWARD here:
http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2016/03/announcing-ernst-bacon-memorial-award.html
CHORUSES:
Applications from CHORUSES for The American Prize in Choral Performance are accepted from professional, college/university, community and high school ensembles nationwide, competing in separate categories.
Official rules, complete information and application forms may be found here: http://
www.theamericanprize.org/Choral.html
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ELIGIBILITY:
The contests of The American Prize are open to all U.S. citizens, whether living in this country or abroad, and to others currently living, working and/or studying in the United States of
America, its protectorates and territories.
THE AMERICAN PRIZE sponsors UNIQUE CONTESTS in the PERFORMING ARTS
The American Prize is unique—the only national nonprofit competitions in the performing arts to provide evaluation, recognition and reward to America’s finest performing artists, ensembles and composers based on commercial or noncommercial recorded performances. The American Prize
is proud to have awarded more than $40,000 in cash prizes in all categories since 2010.
The American Prize sponsors annual competitions for classical vocalists, pianists, composers,chamber musicians, conductors, ensembles and arts administrators and has welcomed applications from 49 U.S. states and from American citizens living throughout the world.
There is no live competition. The American Prize judges recorded performances only. Most contests feature separate divisions for professional musicians, pre-professionals (college and
university), community musicians and high school age artists. There are no age limits.
Complete information on the website: www.theamericanprize.org
The American Prize: HISTORY and JUDGES
The American Prize grew from the belief that a great deal of excellent music being made in this country goes unrecognized and unheralded, not only in our major cities, but all across the country: in schools and churches, in colleges and universities, and by community and
professional musicians.
With the performing arts in America marginalized like never before and media coverage harder than ever to get, The American Prize seeks to fill the gap that leaves excellent artists and ensembles struggling for visibility and viability. The American Prize recognizes and rewards the
best America produces, without bias against small city versus large, or unknown artist versus well-known.
David Katz, chief judge of The American Prize, was recently honored by MUSICAL AMERICA as one of its Top Professionals of the Year for his work on behalf of The American Prize contests.Professional conductor, award-winning composer, playwright, actor and arts advocate, he is
author and performer of MUSE of FIRE, the acclaimed one-man play about the art of conducting.
Joining Katz in selecting winners of The American Prize is a panel of judges as varied in background and experience as the organization hopes the winners of The American Prize will be. Made up of distinguished musicians representing virtually every region of the country, the group
includes professional vocalists, conductors, composers and pianists, tenured professors and orchestra, band and choral musicians.
“Most artists may never win a Grammy award, or a Pulitzer, or a Tony, or perhaps ever be nominated,” Katz said, “but that does not mean that they are not worthy of recognition and reward. Quality in the arts is not limited to the coasts, or to the familiar names, or only to
graduates of a few schools. It is on view all over the United States, if you take the time to look for it. The American Prize exists to encourage and herald that excellence.”
By shining a light on nationally recognized achievement, winners of The American Prize receive world-class bragging rights to use in promotion right at home. “If The American Prize helps build careers, or contributes to local pride, or assists in increasing the audience for an artist or ensemble, builds the donor base, or stimulates opportunities or recruitment for winning artists and ensembles, then we have fulfilled our mission,” Katz said.
The American Prize is administered by Hat City Music Theater, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit performing arts organization based in Danbury, Connecticut.
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