ASCAP Foundation Applauds Achievement in Music

(left to right) ASCAP lyricist Alan Bergman, ASCAP Foundation President Marilyn Bergman; Richard Rodgers’ daughter, Mary Rodgers; and Stephen Sondheim Photo courtesy ASCAP

The ASCAP Foundation honored both young and established talent at the Seventh Annual ASCAP Foundation Awards and Scholarships reception on December 5th at New York City’s Lincoln Center. Fifteen ASCAP scholarships, fellowships, residencies, and awards were granted to 19 composers and lyricists working in all genres of music. The awards support ASCAP’s general mission to nurture young talent, preserve the legacy of the past, and foster an environment that allows for the propagation of creative ideas.

The highlight of this year’s reception was the presentation of the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award for lifetime achievement in musical theater to composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, who changed Broadway with his remarkable creative presence.

(left to right) ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award winner Gabriela Frank and ASCAP Vice President of Concert Music Frances Richard Photo courtesy ASCAP

Gaining recognition first as the lyricist for such classics as West Side Story (music by Leonard Bernstein) and Gypsy (music by Jules Styne), he later moved on to be the composer, lyricist, and driving force behind such groundbreaking productions as A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, Company, and Sweeney Todd.

In addition, a stunning performance by ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award winner Gabriela Frank, who played the finale from her multi-movement solo piano work Sonata Andina, gave those in attendance a glimpse at the talent that was being honored at the event.

Complete list of honorees:

High school scholarships

• Boosey & Hawkes Young Composer Award honoring Aaron Copland (LaGuardia High School of Music and Art)—Kwami Coleman
• Leiber & Stoller Music Scholarship (Young Musicians Foundation)—Andrew Roitstein
• Ira Gershwin Scholarship (LaGuardia High School of Music and Art)—Shan Shan Na and Karen Yim

College Scholarships

• Louis Armstrong Scholarship (Queens College)—Sandra Hempel
• Max Dreyfus Scholarship (NYU Tisch School of the Arts)—Andrew Elsesser
• Henry Mancini Composer Scholarships (The Henry Mancini Institute)—Nathaniel Fox Beversluis, Gordon Haab III, and Nihan Yesil
• Michael Masser Scholarship honoring Johnny Mercer (ASCAP staff)—Kelly Porter
• Louis Dreyfus/Warner Chappell City College Scholarship (CCNY/CUNY)—Sebastian Cruz
• Frederick Loewe Scholarship (NYU Tisch School of the Arts)—Carmel E. Dean

Fellowship:

• Leonard Bernstein Fellowship at Tanglewood—Jeff Myers

Awards:

• Morton Gould Young Composer Award—Gabriela Frank
• Rudolf Nissim Prize—John C. Ross
• Richard Rodgers New Horizon Award—Zina Goldrich & Marcy Heisler
• ASCAP Foundation Sammy Cahn Award—Lori McKenna
• ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award—Stephen Sondheim