Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • FALL 2015 • PAN PIPES 9 I J K N O P T U X Y Z MUSIC NOTES On September 10th, President Obama awarded the 2014 National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal--the highest award given by the United States to artists or arts patrons--to distinguished recipients in the White House East Room, including SAI Composers Bureau member Meredith Monk. Monk is a composer, singer, director/ choreographer, and creator of new opera, music theater works, films, and installations. In 1968, Monk founded e House, a company dedicated to an interdisciplinary approach to performance. In 1978, she founded Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble to expand her musical textures and forms. As a pioneer in site-specific performance, she has created such works as Juice: A eatre Cantata In 3 Installments (1969) and Ascension Variations (2009) for the Guggenheim Museum, and American Archeology #1: Roosevelt Island (1994). Monk's award-winning films, including Ellis Island (1981) and her first feature, Book of Days (1988), have been seen throughout the world. Her music can also be heard in films by such directors as Jean-Luc Godard and the Coen Brothers, and in the recent HBO series True Detective. In addition to her numerous vocal pieces, music-theater works and operas, Monk has created vital new repertoire for orchestra, chamber ensembles, and solo instruments, with commissions from Michael Tilson omas/San Francisco Symphony and New World Symphony, Kronos Quartet, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and Los Angeles Master Chorale, among others. In October 1999, Monk performed A Vocal Offering for His Holiness, the Dalai Lama as part of the World Festival of Sacred Music in Los Angeles. Her fortieth year of performing and creating new music was celebrated in 2005 by a four-hour marathon at Carnegie's Zankel Hall, with additional performances throughout New York City. In February 2012, she was honored with a remix and interpretations cd, MONK MIX, featuring 25 artists from the jazz, pop, and new music worlds. In March 2012, she premiered Realm Variations for six voices and small ensemble, commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony, and performed in John Cage's Song Books as part of the Symphony's American Mavericks Festival. Monk's newest music-theater piece, On Behalf of Nature, premiered in January 2013 at UCLA and is currently touring internationally. is fall, Monk marks her 50th season as a creator and performer. Recognized as one of the most unique and influential artists of her generation, she has been appointed the 2014-2015 Richard and Barbara Debs Composer's Chair at Carnegie Hall. Since graduating Sarah Lawrence College in 1964, Monk has received numerous honors including the prestigious MacArthur "Genius" Award, two Guggenheim Fellowships, three "Obies" (including an award for Sustained Achievement), and two "Bessie" awards for Sustained Creative Achievement. She holds honorary Doctor of Arts degrees from Bard College, the University of the Arts, e Juilliard School, the San Francisco Art Institute, and the Boston Conservatory. Monk has made more than a dozen recordings, most of which are on the ECM New Series label, including the 2008 Grammy-nominated impermanence and the highly acclaimed Songs of Ascension. Celebrated internationally, Monk's work has been presented by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Lincoln Center Festival, Houston Grand Opera, London's Barbican Centre, and at major venues in countries from Brazil to Syria. Among her many accolades, she was recently named an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by the Republic of France, and the 2012 Composer of the Year by Musical America. Monk is also one of NPR's 50 Great Voices, and has received a 2012 Doris Duke Artist Award and a 2011 Yoko Ono Lennon Courage Award for the Arts. In 1993 she was named a Fellow of MacDowell Colony, an artist retreat supported by SAI Philanthropies since 1916. e Colony itself received a national Medal of arts in 1977. e National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities were established by the Congress in 1965 as independent agencies of the Federal Government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $5 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. e NEA extends its work through partnerships with State arts agencies, local leaders, other Federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. Both endowments are celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year. [SAI Epsilon Delta initiate Jane Chu has served as chairman of the NEA since June 2014.] — whitehouse.gov and meredithmonk.org President Awards Medal of the Arts to Composer Kyle Froman Meredith Monk Below are the 2014 National Medal of Arts Citations for music- related recipients read at the ceremony: Meredith Monk for her contributions as a composer, singer, and performer. Renowned for her groundbreaking vocal techniques, Ms. Monk has reimagined the instrument of voice with her innovative work. George Shirley for his contributions as a tenor. The first African American tenor to sing in a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera, Mr. Shirley has captivated audiences for more than 50 years with his masterful performances. As a pioneer and as a teacher, Mr. Shirley has paved the way for generations of aspiring African American opera singers. University Musical Society for presenting the performing arts to communities in Michigan. For over a century, the Society has brought world-class orchestras, dance ensembles, jazz performers, and theater companies to Michigan, while supporting the study and creation of new works.

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