Ithaca College

News Release by Keith Davis

By taking first place in the Collegiate Orchestras category, the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jeffery Meyer, is one of 19 American orchestras to be honored with a 2012–2013 ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) Award for Adventurous Programming. ASCAP and the League of American Orchestras present the awards annually to orchestras of all sizes for programs that challenge the audience, build the repertoire and increase interest in music of our time.

“This is the third ASCAP award the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra has won, which demonstrates the orchestral program’s unwavering commitment to innovative programming,” said Meyer. “This commitment to integrating the music of our time into the standard repertoire opens the ears and expands the minds of our students, and prepares them to be the most versatile musicians they can be when they graduate.”

The young musicians in the Ithaca College School of Music learn to negotiate not only the difficulties and challenges of Beethoven, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky, Meyers added, but also the complexities, both conceptual and technical, of the newest scores and 20th century masterpieces.

“The future of new music will soon rest in their hands, and they will be prepared to significantly contribute as orchestral players, chamber musicians, soloists and teachers.”

Composed of 90 to 100 musicians, the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra is dedicated to performing symphonic repertoire from the baroque through the 20th century, as well as contemporary works. The ensemble presents five to eight concerts a year, including the annual concerto concert, at which winners of the School of Music’s annual concerto competition perform with the orchestra.

The orchestra has garnered numerous honors and prizes, including recognition in two categories in the 2011 American Prize. Having performed to high acclaim in venues such as the Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall and Alice Tully Hall, the ensemble has collaborated with such prominent composers as Jennifer Higdon and Pulitzer Prize winner Karel Husa. Guest conductors have included Daniel Hege (Syracuse Symphony), Jose-Luis Novo (Annapolis Symphony) and Larry Rachleff (Rice University).

Established in 1914, ASCAP is the leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization representing the world’s largest repertory, totaling over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than 410,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members.

The League of American Orchestras supports and champions America’s orchestras and the vitality of the music they perform. Its membership of nearly 900 orchestras across North America runs the gamut from world-renowned symphonies and community groups to summer festivals and youth ensembles.

For more information, contact Jenny Stockdale, marketing communications manager in the School of Music, at jstockdale@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-3256.