Walden receives 2012 ASCAP/CMA Adventurous Programming Award
=DUBLIN, NH — For the past 24 years, Chamber Music America (CMA) and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) have honored chamber music and jazz ensembles, festivals and presenters with Adventurous Programming Awards. The annual awards recognize U.S.-based professional ensembles and presenters for distinctive programming of new music composed in the past 25 years. The recipients were chosen by an independent panel of judges, who evaluated the applicants on the basis of their programming of recent works and innovations in attracting audiences to new music performances.
The Walden School will receive the 2012 award for Small Contemporary Presenter/ Festival in an awards ceremony on Sunday, January 15, 2012. The ceremony will take place at the Westin New York at Times Square (207 W. 43rd Street) in New York City. Cia Toscanini, vice president of concert music, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), will present the awards.
“This year’s award recipients represent some of the most exciting contemporary music programming in the country,” said Chamber Music America’s CEO, Margaret M. Lioi.
“Judging from the number of excellent applications that we received, new music is flourishing in the chamber music community. We are pleased to recognize these outstanding ensembles and presenters for their accomplishments.”
The 2012 CMA/ASCAP Adventurous Programming Award is the culmination of a highly accomplished year for The Walden School. In addition to the CMA/ASCAP award, The Walden School received a $35,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant in support of its 2012 Young Musicians Program; it received the 2011 New Music Educator Award from the American Music Center in honor of its creative philosophy and curriculum, as well as its contribution toward motivating and mentoring decades of successful students; and the School was named one of 50 finalists for the 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award (NAHYPA).
“The Walden School is tremendously honored by this recognition from CMA and ASCAP,” said Walden’s Executive Director Seth Brenzel. “The presentation of innovative, cutting edge and diverse artists on Walden’s Concert Series is an important component of our educational mission, and our participants and audiences alike reap the benefits.”
Brenzel added, “It is especially gratifying to receive this and other recognition as we begin several years of activities to mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of The Walden School in 2012. It is also humbling to join past recipients of the CMA/ASCAP Adventurous Programming awards —organizations and ensembles we admire —such as the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), the PRISM Saxophone Quartet, Monadnock Music, Del Sol String Quartet, and others Walden counts as partners and collaborators.”
“I was lucky enough to spend five summers at Walden as a member of the Walden School Players,” said Claire Chase, founder and Executive Director of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). “During my time there I was deeply inspired by the effortless way in which innovative programming, education and community involvement were integrated. Walden is a utopia among institutions! I cannot imagine an organization more deserving of this most important award.”
The Walden School received special notice for its collaboration between Walden, the Firebird Ensemble and the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music that commissioned 11 new works, eight by Walden faculty members and three by Walden student composers.
For a complete list of all recipients of the 2012 ASCAP Adventurous Programming Awards, visit www.chamber-music.org.
The Walden School, founded in 1972, is an acclaimed summer music school and festival offering programs that emphasize creative application, specifically through music improvisation and composition. In residence since 1983 on the beautiful campus of the Dublin School in Dublin, New Hampshire, the School provides an inspiring retreat-like environment ideal for creative music making. The School’s core programs include the Young Musicians Program for musicians ages 9 to 18, the Teacher Training Institute for music educators and the Creative Musicians Retreat for adult musicians. The School’s Concert Series showcases free public performances by renowned artists and ensembles that work closely with program participants. The Walden School is the successor organization to the Junior Conservatory Camp. To learn more, visit www.waldenschool.org.
Chamber Music America, the national service organization for the ensemble music profession, was founded in 1977 to develop and strengthen an evolving chamber music community. With a membership of over 6,000—including musicians, ensembles, presenters, artists’ managers, educators, music businesses, and advocates of ensemble music—CMA welcomes members representing a wide range of musical styles and traditions. In addition to its funding programs, CMA provides its members with consulting services, access to health and instrument insurance, conferences, seminars and several publications, including Chamber Music magazine and a website, www.chamber-music.org.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than 420,000 composers, songwriters, and publishers of every music genre. Founded in 1914, ASCAP is the only U.S. performing rights organization created and governed by its members. ASCAP licenses non-dramatic public performances and distributes royalties to its members. ASCAP makes obtaining permission to perform music simple and economical for all who wish to perform copyrighted music publicly.
Contact: Seth Brenzel, Executive Director
The Walden School
sbrenzel@waldenschool.org
415-648-4710 (office)
The Walden School Awarded Prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Grant
$35,000 Grant Will Support School’s Composition Immersion Program
“The Walden School is one of America’s greatest hidden treasures. Though there are many music camps, there isn’t another like The Walden School with its focus on nurturing musicianship through the act of composing and creating. The Walden School’s unique curriculum nurtures the talent we need for the future of classical music – building young musicians who truly understand the power of making music from the perspective of the composer.” – Joan Tower, composer
DUBLIN, NH – Imagine 100-plus world premieres in five weeks. That’s what The Walden School’s Young Musicians Program inspires each summer, when musically inclined students, ages 9-18, arrive on the beautiful campus for rigorous and innovative daily instruction that helps students find, develop and claim their creative voices. This work culminates in the creation of at least one compositional work by each student. Each work is critiqued and performed by faculty and fellow students, and by guest artists who are among the top artists in the field, who have included The Walden School Players, the Peabody Trio and the PRISM Saxophone Quartet, among countless others. The 2011 Young Musicians Program runs June 25 – July 31. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has recognized the vital importance of this Composition Immersion Program, also know as the Young Musicians Program, by awarding it a $35,000 grant. The 2011 grant marks the fourth NEA grant received by The Walden School in 10 years. The NEA is an independent agency of the federal government that advances artistic excellence, creativity and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The Walden School is one of 229 not-for-profit national, regional, state, and local organizations recommended for a grant as part of the federal agency’s Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth grant support program, providing more than $7.4 million in funding. The grant was announced by NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman, who states, “NEA research shows that three out of four Americans participate in the arts. The diverse, innovative and exceptional projects funded in this round will ensure that Americans around the country continue to have the opportunity to experience and participate in the arts.”
The Walden School’s Executive Director Seth Brenzel says, “The Walden School is thrilled with the grant award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Not only will the award allow us to sustain and grow our unique music immersion program for creative young musicians in 2012 and beyond, the grant helps to recognize The Walden School’s important contributions over the last 40 years to creative and innovative music education in the United States.” In other recent news regarding recognition of The Walden School: On May 2, The Walden School received the 2011 New Music Educator Award from the American Music Center in honor of its creative philosophy and curriculum, and its contribution toward motivating and mentoring decades of successful students. On May 5, The Walden School was named one of 50 finalists for the 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award (NYHYP) by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and its partner agencies, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Out of 471 nominations from 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, the School was named a finalist and is in contention for a $10,000 one-time grant and an invitation to attend the White House awards ceremony hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. The Walden School, founded in 1972, is an acclaimed summer music school and festival offering programs that emphasize creative application, specifically through music improvisation and composition. In residence since 1983 on the beautiful campus of the Dublin School in Dublin, New Hampshire, the School provides an inspiring retreat-like environment ideal for creative music making, with a student/faculty ration of 4 to 1. The Walden School is the successor organization to the Junior Conservatory Camp. The School’s core programs include the Young Musicians Program for musicians ages 9 to 18, the Teacher Training Institute for music educators and the Creative Musicians Retreat for adults. The School’s Concert Series showcases free public performances by renowned artists and ensembles that interact closely with students. To learn more, visit www.waldenschool.org. The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at www.arts.gov.
Contact: Seth Brenzel
Executive Director, The Walden School
Email: sbrenzel@waldenschool.org
Telephone: (415) 648-4710 (office)
The Walden School Receives 2011 New Music Educator Award from American Music Center
Ceremony Set for May 2 at Chelsea Art Museum in New York City
The American Music Center (AMC), founded in 1939 by Aaron Copland and Howard Hanson, among others, offers awards each year to celebrate American music trendsetters. On May 2, The Walden School will receive the 2011 New Music Educator Award in a ceremony at the Chelsea Art Museum, 5-7 pm, for an audience of American Music Center members and guests.
AMC President and CEO Joanne Hubbard Cossa says, “The Walden School is the recipient of our New Music Educator Award, honoring their creative philosophy and curriculum, as well as their contribution toward motivating and mentoring decades of successful students.”
The New Music Educator Award, established in 2006, honors conductors, professors, lecturers, academics and others who have made important contributions in the realm of education, but might not always be well known to the rest of the new music community. Previous winners include musicologist Charles Hamm and the New World Symphony.
The Walden School’s Executive Director Seth Brenzel says, “Receiving this award from the American Music Center is both gratifying and inspiring. It recognizes the work of more than 100 dedicated music educators who have helped to develop the creative musical voices of hundreds of alumni at The Walden School, as well as alumni of its predecessor program, the Junior Conservatory Camp. It recognizes that program’s founder, Grace Newsom Cushman, for her vision, and The Walden School’s founders — Lynn Taylor Hebden, David Hogan and Pamela Layman Quist — for their incredible efforts in sustaining Mrs. Cushman’s legacy.”
Brenzel continues, “To be in the company of some of the greatest contributors to American music while receiving this public recognition is thrilling. This award inspires all of us at Walden to continue to help develop the creative voices of our current and future students. We are grateful to the American Music Center for this tremendous honor.”
Chen Yi, composer and former guest composer at The Walden School, says about the recognition, “The Walden School has had an innovative vision, a clear mission and goals since its establishment. I admire these great leaders and the hard working faculty members from the bottom of my heart. It’s their consistent effort and the generous support from the community that have made the program successful in bringing up a solid group of young composers who are making invaluable contributions to our new society during these years. Bravo to The Walden School for the 2011 American Music Center New Music Educator Award!”
Also being honored at the May 2 awards ceremony will be preeminent composer John Harbison, as well as the Copland House and So Percussion.
ABOUT THE WALDEN SCHOOL
The Walden School, founded in 1972, is a summer music festival offering programs that emphasize creative application through a comprehensive musicianship curriculum, improvisation and composition. In residence on the campus of the Dublin School, the School provides an inspiring retreat-like environment ideal for creative music making.
Walden’s Young Musicians Program provides fun and rigorous training for young musicians ages 9 to 18. The school is deliberately small, and a student to faculty ratio of 4 to 1 ensures that coursework is geared to the individual student, beginner through advanced, and that a supportive musical community is formed and nurtured. During the five-week program, students attend classes in music history, analysis, computer musicianship, jazz and other topics to complement Walden’s core curriculum of musicianship and composition. The School’s Concert Series features performances by renowned artists and ensembles that interact closely with students, including during Composers Forums where students’ creative work is presented and discussed. All students and faculty participate in chorus, which meets daily and performs a concert at the end of the session.
The Walden School offers a Teacher Training Institute that presents a weeklong summer intensive to help music educators sharpen their musicianship skills, enrich their teaching with imaginative activities, and more effectively guide the creative voices of their students. Interactive sessions with master teachers include classes in musicianship, computer music, solfege, choral singing, jazz, rhythms, and improvisation. At Walden’s Creative Musicians Retreat, adult musicians take classes, sing in chorus, compose music, and improvise. Participants are exposed to a variety of Walden musicianship materials and take classes in contemporary music topics, music history, computer music and applied skills (conducting, improvisation and more). Composition lessons and tutorials are also offered.
For more information, please visit www.waldenschool.org.
Contact: Seth Brenzel
Executive Director, The Walden School
Email: sbrenzel@waldenschool.org
Telephone: (415) 648-4710 (office)
2011 American Music Center Awards Announced
The Walden School won the 2011 New Music Educator Award from the American Music Center.