UMBC’s Department of Music has been awarded Third Prize in the distinguished Adventurous Programming Awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). The award recognizes UMBC’s national contribution as a presenter of contemporary music written since 1980.

The ASCAP Adventurous Programming Awards, which were presented at Chamber Music America’s Annual Conference held January 15-18, 2004 in New York City, were conceived seventeen years ago to encourage ensembles, festivals and presenters to program new works. First place in the category for 2003 was awarded to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and second place was awarded to the Cornish Music Series.

ASCAP’s Vice President of Concert Music, Frances Richard, who presented the awards, commented: “This is the seventeenth year of ASCAP’s collaboration with Chamber Music America to present Adventurous Programming Awards. These awards are made on behalf of the members of ASCAP, in appreciation for the Ensembles, Presenters and Festivals, which feature performances of the music of our time for audiences throughout the United States. With special emphasis upon works written since 1980, we celebrate the exciting and vibrant Chamber Music tradition through adventurous programming.”

Linda Dusman, the chair of UMBC’s Department of Music, stated: “We are honored to have received this award, and especially to be the only university so recognized. UMBC prides itself on being at the cutting edge of research and creative work; in music this translates into our valuing that our students and community have access to and an understanding of the music of their own times.”

During the 2002-2003 season, for which the award was presented, the Department of Music’s concert series included performances by the Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo, composer Thomas Lehn, pianist Marc Ponthus, pianist Kazuko Tanosaki, the ensemble NOISE, composer Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf, cellist Franklin Cox, the ensemble Interface, flutist Lisa Cella, bassist Michael Cameron, percussionist Jonas Larsson, composer Paul Koonce, and a duo concert by saxophonist Anjan Shah and pianist Rachel Franklin. The Department also sponsored a major festival, Music of Japan Today 2003, which featured performances by Ruckus (the professional chamber music ensemble in residence at UMBC) and others, and events with featured composers Joji Yuasa, Akira Nishimura, Tokuhide Niimi and Toshi Ichiyanagi.

The 2002-2003 season featured works by many living composers, including compositions by Makiko Asaoka, Curtis Bahn, J. Fredric Bergström, Luciano Berio, Pierre Boulez, Matthew Burtner, Elliott Carter, Frankin Cox, Thomas DeLio, Franco Donatoni, Dominic Dousa, Linda Dusman, Morton Feldman, Mamoru Fujieda, Keiko Fujiie, Hans Werner Henze, Asako Hirabayashi, Colin Holter, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Yukiko Ito, Nagako Konishi, Paul Koonce, György Kurtág, Anne La Berge, Thomas Lehn, Thomas Liljeholm, Erik Lund, Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf, Nicholas Maw, Ronaldo Miranda, Akira Miyoshi, Junko Mori, Robert Muczynski, Isaac Nagao, Shigenobu Nakamura, Conlon Nancarrow, Tokuhide Niimi, Akira Nishimura, Mark Osborn, Fredrik Österling, Takayuki Rai, Kaija Saariaho, Stuart Sankey, Giacinto Scelsi, Stuart Saunders Smith, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Steven Kazuo Takasugi, Toru Takemitsu, Karen Tanaka, Jukka Tiensuu, Yoichi Togawa, Dan Trueman, David Ward-Steinman, Amy Williams, Iannis Xenakis, Joji Yuasa and Akira Yuyama.

The UMBC Department of Music’s calendar of upcoming events is available at www.umbc.edu/arts.

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UMBC Department of Music: http://www.umbc.edu/music