THE ASCAP FOUNDATION

SPRING 2021

Paul Williams President, The ASCAP Foundation Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear Watch Our Songwriter Series: Photo by Igor Kasyanyuk OUR MISSION INSPIRING REVOLUTIONS! The ASCAP Foundation, Stay in touch and connected with what is happening in today’s music scene! a 501(c)(3) public charity, is dedicated to nurturing Inspiring Revolutions, presented by The ASCAP Foundation, has just wrapped up its third episode featuring the incred- the music talent of ible duo behind Bridgerton the Musical - Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow. You don’t want to miss it. Also available for your tomorrow, preserving the viewing pleasure are episodes featuring Paul Williams with Ryan Cassata and Bandits on the Run. legacy of the past and Simply go to our YouTube channel to hear the stories behind the songs and the tunes of talented and inspiring young sustaining the creative music creators. Learn about artists’ lives through the lens of current events from wherever you are in the world. Subscribe incentive for today’s to us on YouTube and follow our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @ASCAPfoundation. music creators though a variety of educational, professional and humanitarian programs. THE HERB ALPERT YOUNG JAZZ The Foundation’s COMPOSER AWARDS efforts primarily Photo montage by Frank J. Oteri focus on supporting The ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer music education and Awards were established to encourage gifted young jazz composers up to the age of 30. It carries the name of the encouraging aspiring great trumpeter and ASCAP member Herb Alpert thanks to songwriters, composers a generous, multi-year gift from The Herb Alpert Founda- and lyricists. tion. The Newport Festival Foundation features one of the recipients during the Newport Jazz Festival. Recipients, who receive cash awards, are selected through a juried national competition.

The ASCAP composer/judges for the 2021 competition www.ascapfoundation.org were: Ambrose Akinmusire, Wycliffe Gordon and Jihye Lee. Additional funding for this program is provided by The ascapfoundation ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund. @ascap.com ASCAP Foundation 2021 Herb Alpert Young Jazz @ascapfoundation Composer awardees: Top row (l to r): Clint Bleil, age 26; Andy Clausen, age 28; Stratøs (Eddie Codrington), age 24; Michael Echaniz, age 26; Eliana Fishbeyn, age 25 2nd row (l to r): Ariel Sha Glassman, age 24; Philip Ryan Goss, age 28; Jon Hatamiya, age 29; Joseph Herbst, age 25; Chase Kuesel, age 27 3rd row (l to r): Aditi Malhotra, age 23; Luca Mendoza, age 22; Lesley Mok, age 26; Yu Nishiyama, age 26; Zach Rich, age 27 4th row (l to r): Yoko Suzuki, age 26; Gary (Kaiji) Wang, age 25; Alex Weitz, age 30; Matt Wong, age 22; Courtney Wright, age 26 5th row (l to r): Honorable Mentions: Henry Godfrey, age 24; Oliver Mann, age 17; Daiki Nakajima, age 18; Hunter McKay, age 24; Yuma Uesaka, age 30; Andrew Watkins Alcocer, age 24 Acclaimed Composer TANIA LEÓN and Latin Music Industry Leader BETSY PÉREZ Join The ASCAP Foundation Board of Directors

The ASCAP Foundation has named Tania León and Betsy Pérez to its Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences among Board of Directors. Both bring impressive credentials and experience others. She also received a proclamation for Composers Now by the New paired with an unparalleled passion for nurturing aspiring York City Mayor and the MadWoman Festival Award in Music (Spain). songwriters, composers and lyricists and ensuring León has received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Colgate that music education is available in schools and University, Oberlin and SUNY Purchase College. A CUNY communities across the United States. Professor Emerita, she was awarded a 2018 United States “Tania and Betsy are a true gift to The ASCAP Artists Fellowship. Foundation,” said ASCAP Foundation Executive Betsy Pérez is the Executive Director/Senior Vice President Director Colleen McDonough. “We are grateful of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame. She joined LSHOF upon for the passion, dedication and vision these its founding nine years ago and since then has spearheaded new Board members bring, and we welcome its commitment to preserving and celebrating the legacy of their commitment to helping The Foundation fulfill Tania León the world’s greatest Latin songwriters and encouraging the its mission to support and develop American music development of future generations of songwriters. creators.” Photo: Michael Provost Dedicated to community service, Pérez ran A native of Cuba, Tania León is highly regarded as a composer, for Miami Beach City Commission and now conductor, educator and advisor to arts organizations. serves on the Mayors Steering Committee. She is also Chair of Sister Cities International in A founding member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, León Miami Beach and serves on the Board of the instituted the Brooklyn Philharmonic Community Concert Animal Welfare Society of South Florida, Series and co-founded the American Composers Orchestra’s overseeing a multi-million-dollar budget. For Sonidos de las Américas festivals. Previously the New Music the Covid-19 pandemic, Pérez launched “Thank Advisor to the New York Philharmonic, she is now the founder/ Betsy Pérez You Thursdays” to procure donations to feed the Artistic Director of the nonprofit and festival Composers Now. City of Miami Beach Police, raising over $20,000 to Her honors include the New York Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award, show support for those who risk their lives to protect the the ASCAP Victor Herbert Award and elections to the American Academy of safety of others.

The ASCAP Foundation Andrew A. Isen Musical Theater Songwriting Workshop

On March 19, 2021, high school musical theater students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. performed their original songs alongside Broadway stars as the cul- mination of the second annual ASCAP Foundation Andrew A. Isen Musical Theater Songwriting Workshop.

The concert was open to the public as a free webcast. This was a four-month intensive workshop where the Duke Ellington School of the Arts students col- laborated with their classmates to create original songs under the direction of ASCAP songwriter and Broadway performer Nick Blaemire.

The performance showcased the songwriting talents of senior year theater stu- dents and included performances by the students and Broadway singers.

Student songwriters were Nyah Alexis, Samiya Allen-Graham, Eric Easter, Makael Exum, Elisha Fonseca, Lauren K. Harris, Cassie Lustig, K’Lah Morgan, Mari Powell, Jahmiya Quarles, Taylor Robinson, De’La Strader, Kwencie Stewart, Taylor Tomp- kins and Erik Ventura.

Broadway Performers include: Chad Burris (Mean Girls, Frozen), Sara Kapner (Band’s Visit), Jon-Michael Lyles (A Strange Loop, The OA), Vasthy Mompoint (SpongeBob, The Prom), Doron Mitchell (To Kill a Mockingbird), Ines Nassara (The Wiz, Ragtime), James Hayden Rodriguez (The Lightning Thief), Vishal Vaidya (Groundhog Day), RJ Vaillancourt (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Jason Veasey (A Strange Loop, The Lion King). SONGWRITERS (AND THEIR STORIES): NEXT GENERATION Goes Virtual! Molly Joyce

Songwriters: Next Generation, a program of The ASCAP Foundation went virtual and was aired on Thursday, May 6. You can view it on The ASCAP Foundation YouTube channel.

Featuring 6 emerging ASCAP songwriters and composers, this multi-genre cast of talented performers share their musical journeys and their original songs providing a unique glimpse of when and how music shaped their lives.

The show featured country singer-songwriter Austin Jenckes, R&B singer- songwriter Liza Yohannes, pianist, composer, producer, and bandleader Mathis Picard, composer, playwright, musician and performer Joriah Kwame, composer, performer Molly Joyce, and pop-country artist/songwriter Riley Roth.

Hosted by ASCAP member Stephen Bray, Riley Roth songwriter, drummer, and record producer, best known for his collaborations with Madonna, being a member of the band Breakfast Club, and for winning the 2017 Grammy Award for the Best Musical Theater Album of the Tony Award-winning revival of The Color Austin Jenckes

Purple, this autobiographical musical Mathis Picard story will inspire and entertain you. Tune in!

This talent development initiative was made possible by your contributions and the Bart Howard Estate.

Joriah Kwame You can view Liza Yohannes Songwriters: Next Generation on The ASCAP Foundation YouTube channel. THE ASCAP FOUNDATION HONORS GOES VIRTUAL TO CELEBRATE NEXT GENERATION OF MUSIC CREATORS

Karen Mason

With presentations from living rooms and home studios around the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award to prodigy Matthew Whitaker, country, The ASCAP Foundation virtually hosted The ASCAP Foundation who took the piano for his composition “Emotions.” Honors in recognition of 2020s remarkable young award winners and Other standout moments were from Jay Gorney Award winner and the donors who make these awards possible. Celebrating 25 years of emerging songwriter Eliza Spear, performing her socially-conscious, honors and 118 award and scholarship recipients, the show, which award-winning tune “If I Don’t Try;” hit aired on December 8, 2020, can still songwriter Valerie Simpson presenting the be viewed on The ASCAP Foundation YouTube channel. The virtual festivities “Reach Out and Touch” Award in honor of showcased a bounty of unforgettable her husband Nick Ashford to songwriter- performances with heartfelt remarks artist Eddie B. Sands, who performed his celebrating the achievements of music moving song “Living God;” and Desmond creators who are beginning their careers Child Anthem Award winner, rising star and already making an impact. and songwriter JADA who performed her original “It Isn’t You.” Highlights from the evening included songwriter, engineer, producer and A total of 17 presentations were made Jamie deRoy & friends Award winner Paul Rolnick and Broadway star including the Paul & Mariana Williams Sunlight of the Spirit Award, Karen Mason’s rendition of Rolnick’s “We Never Ran Out of Love (We to Hope Manor founder Judith Roberts; the Joan & Irwin Robinson Just Ran Out of Time);” Leon Brettler Award winner and Grammy- Scholarship, awarded to music business graduate student Drew nominated singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian performing his song Iorillo; and the Michelle & Dean Kay Award, presented to composer “Good Life;” and acclaimed jazz composer Marcus Miller presenting a Nathan Matthew David.

Eddie B. Sands JADA

Matthew Whitaker The Collective

The Collective is a songwriting workshop funded by The ASCAP intimate look at songwriting and production. Participants were Foundation and facilitated by ASCAP’s Rhythm & Soul membership selected based on songwriting proficiency in the areas of lyrical team. The Collective focuses on the discovery, development, and content/concepts, production value and overall creativity. education of a select, advanced group of songwriters and producers. This year’s mentors included ASCAP members Andrea In the fall of 2020, 9 songwriters and producers participated in this Martin (songwriter), Arden Altino (producer) and Eric first-ever virtual 2-week intensive workshop which encouraged an Roberson (songwriter).

Thanks to a generous bequest from the Estate of ASCAP lyricist Harold Adamson, writer of “Time on My Hands” and “An Affair to Remember” and contributor to the music of many Broadway shows and movies including Smiles, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Around the World in 80 Days, several ASCAP Foundation Harold Adamson Lyric Awards were presented to workshop participants.

For their song and collaborative effort, the team of Jessie “Luna” Byrd, Daniel “Kazi” Wing and Kristopher “NBDY” McCluney, Jr., received top honors for their song “Kiss and Tell.”

Honorable mention was given to James “A-Natural” Foster, Tamira Slade and Tyler V. Dillard for their song “Head 2 Sky”.

Donavann “Langston Bleu” Rimpsey, Andrew “Dcember Moon” Johnson and Maria Zouroudis were honored for their song, “Toyko Lights.”

The top songwriter award was awarded to Jessie Byrd, James Foster and Donavann Rimpsey.

Writers Take Note! Submissions now being accepted for The ASCAP Foundation 2021 Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards

For more than 50 years, The ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards program has recognized books, articles and recording liner notes on the subject of music selected for their excellence.

The Awards were established in 1967 to honor the memory of composer, critic, and commentator Deems Taylor, who died in 1966 after a distinguished career that included six years as President of ASCAP. The Awards were renamed in 2014 to also honor the memory of Virgil Thomson (1896 – 1989), one of the leading American composers and critics of the 20th Century, and a former member of the ASCAP Board of Directors. Support for the Awards is made possible by the Virgil Thomson Foundation and ASCAP Foundation Board President, Paul Williams.

This year, due to circumstances beyond our control, we are accepting electronic submissions for articles and liner notes only. Books will not be considered for 2021. Please check back in 2022 for book submissions. We appreciate your under- standing.

For more information and to learn how to apply go to The ASCAP Foundation website: https://www.ascapfoundation.org/programs/awards. THANK YOU

VISIONARY $50,000+ Anthony Dunaif Michael Titta in memory of Rose Titta Dino Fekaris Chen Yi & Zhou Long Dan and Cheryl Foliart Harold Adamson Estate Lourdes Garcia The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc. Grant and Lydia Geissman Irving Caesar Estate COLLEAGUE $100-$499 Phyllis B. Helms Estate Bart Howard Estate Theodore N. Kaplan Samuel Adler William Kirchen Allen Alexander LEADER $25,000-$49,999 Jody Klein Greg and Penny Anderson Charitable Fund The Lambs Foundation John Murray Anderson Estate Anonymous in honor of Jen Harmon The Herb Alpert Foundation Paul & Kelley Lazarus Foundation Anonymous (4) Caroline Bienstock - Bro ‘N Sis Music in memory of Peggy Lee Foundation Cristina C. Arguedas Freddy & Miriam Bienstock The Frederick Loewe Foundation, Inc. Kenneth Lee Ascher The Nelson Trust Edward & Amelia Madden Estate R.A & Gerda McDonough in honor of Michelle Ateyeh in honor of Tita Cahn, for her Colleen McDonough dedication & commitment to ASCAP DREAM MAKER $10,000-$24,999 Mary Jo Mennella including gifts made in memory Grace Balch of Adam Schlesinger, Benny Mardones & Bill Withers Michael Barone Mrs. Robert Allen Joseph & Rosalie Meyer Estate John H. Beck The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc. Mizzy Jonas Family Foundation Eugene Beer Gary Geld Living Trust Jason Mraz Richard Bellis Raymond Hubbell Musical Scholarship Fund Jack & Amy Norworth Estate Toy Town Tunes at The Miami Foundation Charles Pomo in memory of Jerry Herman John Bonaccorso Molly Hyman in memory of Bob and Hannah Russell The Cole Porter Musical & Literary Property Trusts Paul D. Bourquin Marissa Mandel and Lauren Johnson The Joe Raposo Music Group Matt Bowen Gia Maione Prima Foundation Dana & Richard Reimer Allison Caine including gifts in memory Larry Stock Estate Joan & Irwin Robinson of Wynn Handman & Lou Handman Albert and Barbara Trace Estate Alex Shapiro Nicole Carbone-Rogers Angela Rose White including a gift in memory Howard Shore & Elizabeth Cotnoir Daniel and Katherine Carlin in memory of David Rose & Betty Rose Joan Sklaroff of Georges Delerue Paul and Mariana Williams Thorsen French Advocacy LLC Jeff Carlisi Vanacore Music Bolmar Carrasquilla Lucille and Jack Yellen Foundation Rondi Charleston SUPPORTER $5,000-$9,999 Euguene Cines Estate Larry Clinton, Jr. in memory of Larry Clinton Judy Angelo Cowen Charitable Lead Unitrust BENEFACTOR $500-$999 Barry Coburn Anonymous Denise Colletta Babcock Family General Partnership in memory Anonymous Patricia Connelly of Jimmy Van Heusen Marco & Jill Beltrami Jayne Critelli Mary Ellin Barrett The Bernstein Family Foundation Michael G. Cunningham Tita Cahn James Brockman Estate Frances Datre in memory of Al D’Artega Chapin Productions LLC Robert & Carolyn Candela Warren DeLange Eunice David The City College of New York Suvarchala Desai Andrew A. Isen Stephen Flaherty in memory of Terrence McNally Kim & Daniel Dietrich Robert N. Kaplan Foundation Rob & Sally Hyman in memory of Major VanWinkle Barry & Maria Eastmond The Jerome Leiber Charitable Foundation Elvin L. Jones Thomas Echaniz Ginny Mancini Dean Kay Stephen Edwards in honor of Rosalie Edwards Elizabeth Matthews & Brennan McDonough Pierre D. La Plante Phyllis Feder in honor of Karen Sherry in honor of John and Barbara LoFurmento Morten Lauridsen including a gift in memory Susana Forbes Vic Mizzy Estate of Oscar Hammerstein Douglas Gallop Didier and Lucy Lean Rachou Rosemarie & Nick LeRose Sr. in memory Bud Garrett in memory of Tholen Jeffries Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. of John Rotella Nicole George-Middletown Valerie Simpson Dr. Lynne Lummel Lori Goodman Mike and Corky Hale Stoller Foundation George Maloian Rahlem Grimsley in honor of Johnnie James Grimsley Michael and Mary Mark Thomas Griselle Estate Roger McNulty Jay Gruska PATRON $1,000 - $4,999 Joseph Nelesen & Joy Shih Fredrick Harrison in memory of Hugh Martin James G. O’Connor in honor of Colleen McDonough Mary Evelyn Hartman Anonymous (2) Ralph Peer Norma L. Heaven in memory of Lauren Keiser Joel Beckerman Mary Megan Peer Joe Henry in memory of John Denver Bruce Broughton Beverly Ragovoy William Hentkowski in memory of Vincent Youmans III Vincent and Cynthia Candilora including a gift Julia Riva Jennifer Higdon in honor of Frances Richard in memory of Michelle Kay James Royce Shannon Estate aka James Stanley Royce Joan and Dan Hill Desmond Child Terry Sigman in memory of Carl Sigman Katherine Hinchey Alf H. Clausen Anthony V. Thompson & The Anthony Ford James William Hipp in memory of Jerry Herman Charles Gates Dawes Estate Charitable Foundation in honor of Tita Cahn Bill Holab in memory of Lauren Keiser Mitchell B. DeGroot Jr. Trust John Titta in memory of Rose Titta Nancy Hornstein in honor of Geoffrey Sargeant TO ALL 2020 DONORS TO THE ASCAP FOUNDATION

Lauren Iossa Geoffrey Sargeant Donna Gorton in memory of Lauren K. Keiser Roberta Isberg Elizabeth Schwartz in memory of Joe & Mary Cooper B.L. Hall Waz Jackson Gus and Kathryn Sermas in memory Robert Van Arsdale Harra, Jr. & Linda Brinton Harra Carolyn Jensen in memory of Mary T. Jensen of Vincent Youmans in memory of Vincent Youmans, III Josel Family Mike Sistad Helen Hooke - Montana Blake Music Jack & Rachel Kelble Fund Carol Sobel Raif R. Hyseni Robert & Abigail Kimball Lem Springsteen Elisabeth G. Johnson Ed Kirkeby Michael Spudic Jaycen Joshua Lynn Lane in memory of Burton Lane Kendall Stallings in memory of Keith Collins Merilee Klemp Jeff Langendorf Barbara Staton in memory of Merrill Staton Patricia Kulkowski in memory of Vincent Youmans, Jr. Nathan & Victoria Lanier Carrie & Mike Stockman R.L. Jr. Suzanne Lee Susanna Moross Tarjan in memory of Jerome Moross Dan Locklair Nick Lehman Edward Thomas Ryan H. Masters Shawn LeMone Janet Tinsley, Clarice Tinsley-Giles & Alicia Petross George McGhee Tania J. León in memory of her mother in memory of Dicky Wells Camille Mileo Douglas J. Levy in memory of Harry Akst Cia Toscanini in memory of Lauren Keiser Jaye Mims Michelle Lewis Tom and Pam VanSickle in memory of Feriha Asik Neil and Nancy Minikes in honor of Jesse Ellen D. Little in honor of Lori Collins Phil E. VanSwoll in honor of Lauren K. Keiser Jorge Morel Ange Lorenzo Estate Anthony Vinciguerra Keyona Muhammad Jason Ma Holly Foster Wells Camay Murphy in memory of Cab Calloway Ruby Marchand in memory of Jerry Ragovoy Maria Weyna Mr. and Mrs. Richard Nobes in honor Bobbi Marcus Doug and Patti Wood of William J. Maurer Sharon McBride in memory of D.H. “Tex” Owens Jenny Yates Mr. & Mrs. John V. Notabartolo in memory Colleen McDonough Lee Zahler Estate of William J. Maurer Gloria E. McFarland in memory of Patty Paulus John Leslie McFarland Melissa Rappaport Morris Russell McGuire FRIENDS $50-$99 Perri A. Reid Ellen Meltzer-Zahn & Steven Zahn in gratitude Frances Richard in honor of the for many good years with ASCAP Kenneth Alston Morton Gould Awards Ron Mendelsohn Alvaro Family Lucille Rock in memory of Harry Tobias Calvin A. Miles Anonymous (4) Adrian Ross John Leonard Morris Anonymous in memory of Mack Discant Alison Rubin in memory of Johnny Mandel Loretta Munoz Megan Oates Arruda in memory of Lauren Keiser Nicolas Salomon Pat Nannarello in memory of Michelle Kay Sharon Avallon Judith E. Siegel-Baum Estate Kevin Neal AXIOM2011 Mary Katherine Simmons Teri Nelson Carpenter Stephen Beninati David Slonaker Mark S. and Deborah S. Novak Giving Fund Mark Browne Big Future Publishing & Ryan Smith Mary Anne O’Connor Larren & Cliff Buckley in memory of Don Raye Mark Sussman in memory of John Prine Benjamin Palumbo in memory of Hal David & Dorothy Raye Ethan Tarasov Marschel Paul & Margaret Sutro Charles Wakefield Cadman Estate Bob & Melinda Penn Charitable Fund The John Cage Trust Betsy and Rudy Perez - Let’s keep music playing Joe Cass IN-KIND and inspire the next generation! Gordon Chambers Sandra & Raymond Petkus in memory Danny Clinch ASCAP of Lauren Keiser Derek Colen D’Addario Foundation Annie Philbin Jo Cooper Nancy Pierpoint in memory of Lauren Keiser Paul and Florence Cunningham Estate Mr. Joe Pinson Kele Currier in memory of my father, David Jackson Devantae L. Pope Lee Dannay David Porter Jon Deak Prosody Creative Services Charles Delinks in memory of Dana Suesse Shauna Quill Dope Nachos Gloria Ramin in memory of Sid Ramin Leslie Eaton Nicholas Raposo Marc Emert-Hutner Paul Reisler in memory of Julie Portman Stanley K. Etoty Lindy Robbins Alexandra Forbes Earl Rose in memory of André Previn Heather Frank Jasmine Rosner Josef Freudenthal Estate Karen Ross Philip Galdston Suzanne Rotondo Mary Garrison Bernadette Rubino-Verdi in honor of Dad Salem Seth Saltzman MUSIC IN THE

Board of Directors Schools Miami, Florida A partnership between The ASCAP Foundation, VH1 Save Paul Williams, President Irwin Z. Robinson, Vice President the Music Foundation and Alfred Music called “Music in the Dean Kay, Treasurer Schools” supports music education by providing quality method Ginny Mancini, Secretary books, sheet music, and band arrangements to public schools na- Marilyn Bergman Emeritus Charles Bernstein tionwide selected by VH1 Save the Music Foundation to receive Bruce Broughton musical instruments. As a result, students have quality music to Tita Cahn play as they learn their instruments. Desmond Child Dan Foliart Despite the pandemic, the number of students benefitting in 2020 Arthur Hamilton was 19,484. Since the program’s inception in 2000, over 2,500 public James M. Kendrick Robert Kimball schools across the country have received these music Huntington, West Virginia Tania León materials impacting millions of children. Michelle Lewis James McBride Your donations and The ASCAP Foundation Irving Caesar Fund Roger McNulty make this program possible. Irving Caesar (1895-1996) was a Marcus Miller prolific lyricist who wrote hundreds of songs over the course Betsy Pérez Michael Price of his long life including, “Tea For Two,” Geoffrey Sargeant “Swanee,” “Animal Crackers in My Soup,” Stephen Schwartz “Just a Gigolo,” and the children’s Alex Shapiro educational song series, Songs of Valerie Simpson Doug Wood Safety and Songs of Friendship. Administration Colleen McDonough Executive Director Joan Hill Newark, New Jersey Director of Finance & Administration Chula Vista, California Malaika Alvaro Senior Program Manager Rebecca Kasilag Manager, Donor Relations 2021 Charles Kingsford Commission

The ASCAP Foundation Charles Kingsford Endowment Fund was established through a generous bequest from the Estate of Charles Kingsford, an ASCAP composer of art songs. The fund promotes the composition of art songs in the tradition of Mr. Kingsford’s work by the support of qualifying emerging composers.

The 2021 Kingsford Commission goes to ASCAP composer Damien Sneed, a pianist, vocalist, organist, composer, conductor, arranger, producer, recording artist, and arts educator. His music spans multiple genres and he has worked with jazz, classical, pop, and R&B legends, including the late Aretha Franklin and Jessye Norman. He is featured on Norman’s final recording.

Sneed is the founder and artistic director of Chorale Le Chateau, which has gained a global reputation for its vivid interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance period pieces to art songs to jazz, spirituals, gospel, and avant-garde contemporary music. He is featured on the recording of Wynton Marsalis’ Abyssinian Mass as a conductor, with Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Chorale Le Chateau.

Over the years, many emerging ASCAP composers have received a Kingsford Commission including Eve Beglarian, Lisa Bielawa, Steven Burke, Daniel Felsenfeld, Gabriel Kahane, Edward Harsh, Michael Hersch, Richard Hundley, Michael Ippolito, Gilda Lyons, Harold

Meltzer, Ben Moore, Tamar Muskal, Frank J. Oteri, Robert Paterson, Paola Prestini, Grigory Damien Sneed Smirnov, Aleksandra Vrebalov, Scott Wheeler and Alex Weiser.

We congratulate Damien and wish him continued success.