CHICAGO SINFONIETTA AND MUSIC DIRECTOR
MEI-ANN CHEN HONORED WITH TWO AWARDS FROM
LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS
CHICAGO—The Chicago Sinfonietta and its new Music Director, Mei-Ann Chen, are being honored today with two important national awards for excellence by the League of American Orchestras at its 67th Annual National Conference in Dallas, Texas. The Chicago Sinfonietta’s signature programming style—an innovative combination of contemporary works with traditional classical music—is being honored with an ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. Chen received the Helen M. Thompson Award, which honors one conductor every other year that they believe has the potential for an important national and/or international career. Receiving both awards in the same year is an extremely unusual occurrence.
Chicago Sinfonietta Executive Director Jim Hirsch explained the significance of these awards when he said, “Receiving these two awards at the end of Maestro Chen’s inaugural season clearly demonstrates her immediate impact on the Chicago Sinfonietta as both a creative programmer and as a gifted leader. We are grateful that the League of American Orchestras has recognized what we at the orchestra saw in her from her very first audition in 2009—that Mei-Ann Chen is the whole package.”
The orchestra, which is about to celebrate its 25th Anniversary, was selected for a First Place Award for Programming of Contemporary Music because it featured the works of such contemporary composers as Michael Abels, An-Lun Huang, John Williams, and Michael Gandolfi in a season that also included world premieres from Nicole Mitchell and Randall Fleischer. The League and ASCAP present the awards each year to orchestras of all sizes for programs that challenge the audience, build the repertoire, and increase interest in music of our time.
Chen is being recognized with her award for fostering outstanding artistic growth, programming with creativity and innovation, deepening and expanding audience involvement, engaging the community in the life of the orchestra and demonstrating exemplary leadership in staff, board, and musician relations.
About the Chicago Sinfonietta
The Chicago Sinfonietta has a proud history of having enriched the cultural, educational, and social quality of life in Chicago, while gaining significant recognition on the national and international stage. Performing in both downtown Chicago and in west suburban Naperville, the Sinfonietta presents a full season of symphonic concerts. Under the guidance of Founding Music Director Paul Freeman and now Mei-Ann Chen, the orchestra has performed at the highest artistic level since 1987. Ms. Chen was named Music Director of the Chicago Sinfonietta in July 2011, succeeding Freeman upon his retirement. Freeman remains Music Director Emeritus. The Chicago Sinfonietta musicians truly represent the city’s rich cultural landscape and continue to fulfill the orchestra’s mission of Musical Excellence through Diversity™.
About Mei-Ann Chen
Mei-Ann Chen is Music Director of the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, she is in high demand as a guest conductor around the United States and world, including the symphonies of Alabama, Atlanta, Baltimore, Bournemouth (England), Chicago, Cincinnati, Colorado, Columbus, Copenhagen (Denmark), Edmonton (Canada), Florida, Fort Worth, Graz (Austria), Honolulu, National (Washington, D.C.), Oregon, Pacific, Pasadena, Phoenix, Princeton, Seattle, Toronto, the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra, and many others. She was the first woman to win the Malko Competition for Young Conductors, in 2005. Previously, Chen served as Assistant Conductor of the Oregon Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony and the Baltimore Symphony. Born in Taiwan, Chen has lived in the United States since 1989.
About ASCAP
Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization (PRO) representing the world’s largest repertory totaling over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than 430,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. ASCAP has representation arrangements with similar foreign organizations so that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the world where copyright law exists. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances. ASCAP is the only American PRO owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. www.ascap.com
About the League of American Orchestras
The League of American Orchestras leads, supports, and champions America’s orchestras and the vitality of the music they perform. Its diverse membership of approximately 850 orchestras across North America runs the gamut from world-renowned symphonies to community groups, from summer festivals to student and youth ensembles. The only national organization dedicated solely to the orchestral experience, the League is a nexus of knowledge and innovation, advocacy, and leadership advancement for managers, musicians, volunteers, and boards. Its conferences and events, award-winning Symphony magazine, website, and other publications inform music lovers around the world about orchestral activity and developments. Founded in 1942 and chartered by Congress in 1962, the League links a national network of thousands of instrumentalists, conductors, managers and administrators, board members, volunteers, and business partners. Visit americanorchestras.org to learn more.
