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."The American Prize rewards the best-recorded performances by individual artists and ensembles in the U.S." MidlandsBiz, Columbia, SC, October 8, 2014. 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.Eiseman, Lee. "National Prize Recognizes Local Composer." The Boston Musical Intelligencer, September 24, 2014."Michael Angelucci Wins the American Prize in Piano," The Peabody Post, November 16, 2015. The jury consists of well-known performing artists in each area, with the conductor and composer David Katz serving as chief judge.Lewis, John. "Tom Hall & Choral Arts Win American Prize Awards." Baltimore, October 22, 2014."UNLV Opera director wins American Prize." Las Vegas Review-Journal, October 21, 2014."Tara Curtis places second in The American Prize in Voice." KCMetropolis, Kansas City, KS, September 16, 2014."Nashville composer Daniel Elder shines in the American Prize." ArtsNash, Nashville, TN, September 26, 2014."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."SSYO Places Third Nationally in the American Prize Competition." Saratoga Today, Saratoga Springs, NY, October 18, 2013."Composer Michael Gatonska Awarded The American Prize in Composition." June 11, 2012, www.ascap.com, accessed November 1, 2022
Artists and ensembles self-nominate through an application process or are nominated by a teacher, parent, board member or colleague. 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, and Metropolitan Opera soprano Sharon Sweet. Winners of each category receive a cash award.
Composition winners Source:
Professional Division Orchestra Choral Chamber music Band/wind ensemble Opera / theater / film / dance 2011 Jesse Ayers Ted Vives not awarded not awarded not awarded 2012 Michael Gatonska Brian Holmes not awarded not awarded not awarded 2013 Alessandra Salvati Jonathan Santore Michael Deak Aleksander Sternfeld-Dunn not awarded 2014 Gregg Wramage Dominick DiOrio Piotr Szewczyk Laurence Bitensky Todd Goodman 2015 Angelique Poteat Travis Alford tie: David Garner / Judith Lang Zaimont David Avshalomov Yiguo Yan 2016 Jennifer Bellor Lansing McLoskey Justin Dello Joio Miguel Roig-Francolí Justin Dello Joio2017Brian Ciach(pending)instrumental: Ching-chu Hu / choral (pending)Robert DenhamJocelyn Hagen2019Nilo AlcalaEric W. Sawyer2020Tyler Goodrich Whitemajor works: John Muehleisen / shorter works: Donald Skirvininstrumental: Jakub Polaczyk / vocal: William VollingerShawn OkpebholoZach Redler2021Ruihan YangMichael Bussewitz-QuarmNickitas DemosKyle KindredDave Ragland
College/University Division OrchestraChoralChamber MusicBand/Wind EnsembleOpera / Theater / Film / Dance2013Roberto KalbJoshua Fishbeinnot awardednot awardednot awarded2014Texu KimSaunder ChoiRodrigo Bussadnot awardednot awarded2015Patrick O’MalleyKyle RandallDerek Davidnot awardednot awarded2016Jihyun KimMatthew RecioLara PoeDerek JenkinsGeorgi Dimitrov (student division)2017Antonio Juan Marcos(pending)instrumental: Olga Amelkina-Vera / choral (pending)Tyler BouqueMichele Cheng2021Patrick Holcombnot awardedLiam DiethrichAndrew FaulkenberryNathaniel Trost2023(pending)Frank Duarte(pending)(pending)(pending)
Piano winners Source:
Professional Division Solo Concerto 2011 Lin-Yu Wang Sarah S. Chan 2012 Nathanael May not awarded 2013 Petronel Malan Anthony Michael Cornet 2014 Nassib Nassar Kasandra Keeling2015Michael AngelucciBill John Newbrough2016Jeremy SamoleskyThomas Yee2017-18Roberto PlanoRichard Bosworth2018-19Svetlana BelskyTzu-Yin Huang2019-20Lei WengAnna Dmytrenko2021Liana PaniyevaSusan Merdinger2022Yifei XuCristian Makhuli2023Sophia AgranovichSergei Kvitko2024Anjun ZhengEmiko Edwards
College/University Division SoloConcerto2011Sora ParkGeorge Hemcher2012Azariah TanAzariah Tan2013not awardednot awarded2014Hyunki Yoonnot awarded2015Anna Dmytrenkonot awarded2016Eunsun SoNathan Cheung2017-18Nicholas SusiXiao Chen2018-19John WilsonAoshuang Li2019-20Chenyu WangBogyeong Lee2021Jen-Hao YehYang Li2022Kiwa Mizutaninot awarded2023Junwen Liangnot awarded2024not awardednot awarded
Voice winners Source:
Professional Division Opera / operetta (women) Opera / operetta (men) Art song / oratorio (women) Art song / oratorio (men) 2011 Laura Strickling Jonathan Beyer Christine Steyer Blake Friedman 2012 Suzanne Vinnik Christian Ketter Sharin Apostolou Matthew Garrett 2013 Suzanne Vinnik Christian Ketter Emily Marvosh Darren Chase 2014 Megan Marino Mitchell Hutchings Sarah Davis Leo Rado2015Aundi Marie MoorePeter LightfootTania CoambsJorell Williams2016Samantha BrittKeith BrownMargaret LiasStephen Lancaster2017-18Meredith MecumRyan Francis BurnsKristina BachrachJustin John Moniz2018-19Jacqueline Piccolino Logan TannerEmily Yocum Black Justin John Moniz2019-20Madison Marie McIntoshLeo RadosavljevicAnn CraveroBryan Pinkall2021Jacquelyn 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 awarded2016Natalie LoganQuinn BerneggerSamantha SchmidQuinn Bernegger2017tie: Sarah Cooper / Kellie MotterBen M. ReisingerLauren Elizabeth WalkerDavid John Davani2021Kim Kennynot awardedSolene Le VanMorgan Manifacier
Orchestral winners Source:
Professional Division Orchestral performance Conducting 2010 Lancaster Festival Orchestra Gary Sheldon, Lancaster Festival Orchestra 2011 Pensacola Symphony Orchestra Christopher Zimmerman, Fairfax Symphony Orchestra 2012 National Philharmonic Dirk Meyer, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra 2013 not awarded not awarded 2014 Park Avenue Chamber Symphony not awarded2015Western Piedmont SymphonyOlivier Ochanine, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra20162018Allentown Symphony Orchestra2019Symphony Number OneDavid Bernard2019-20Cape Cod Chamber OrchestraMarkand Thakar
College/University Division Orchestral performanceConducting2010Texas Chamber Group OrchestraRicardo Averbach, Oxford Chamber Orchestra2011University of Michigan Symphony OrchestraKenneth Kiesler, University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra2012University of North Carolina Symphony OrchestraGemma New, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra2013not awardednot awarded2014St. Olaf Orchestranot awarded2015Baylor Symphony OrchestraBoon Hua Lien, Eastman Philharmonia
Choral winners Source:
Professional Division Choral performance 2010 Roomful of Teeth 2011 Washington Bach Consort 2012 not awarded 2013 not awarded 2014 not awarded2015Houston Chamber Choir2019-20co-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 Choir2015USC Thornton Chamber Singers
References
External links The American Prize The American Prize blog