The Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming recognizes member choruses that demonstrate a commitment to fostering and promoting new music.
This award is on hold for the 2023 Awards cycle, with plans to resume in 2024.
The panel for this award considers the following criteria:
- The number of works performed that have been written in the last 25 years
- Variety and creativity of new music performed during the most recently completed season
The selection panel gives special attention to commissioned works and to world, North American, and regional premieres.
Winners of this award receive an engraved plaque and a cash award of $1,000.
There are two categories for this award:
- Category #1: All adult choruses (professional, volunteer, symphony/opera) Two awards will be given in this category.*
- Category #2: Children and youth choruses*
Past recipients are eligible to reapply five years after winning.
*Please note: Both categories are mutually exclusive. A chorus may not apply on behalf of its children's chorus in Category #2 and also on behalf of its adult community chorus in Category #1 in the same year. Similarly, a chorus that applies for the Adventurous Programming Award (in categories #1 or #2) may not also apply for the Alice Parker Award in the same year. Choruses selected to receive the Adventurous Programming Award may not apply in future years for the Alice Parker Award; choruses who have won the Alice Parker Award may not apply for the Adventurous Programming Award unless they can demonstrate that the chorus' mission has changed.
Applicants for the Adventurous Programming awards must be chorus members of Chorus America and ASCAP licensees in good standing.
A. Submit a one-page cover letter that responds to each of the following requirements:
- Describe the ways in which the chorus's season exemplified adventurous programming and a commitment to fostering and promoting new music (written within the last 25 years). Specifically discuss the works that were particularly significant or audacious and why they are significant or audiacious for your organization and your audience.
B. Submit a list of all the works your chorus presented in the 2018-2019 season. You may only submit works from your most recently completed season, whether you define your season according to a calendar year (2019) or academic year (Fall 2018 - Spring 2019). The list should be prepared according to the following guidelines:
- Please list each program separately and include the works performed on each program. If a full program was performed more than once, indicate the number of performances.
- Please include the date(s) of each program and list the concerts in chronological order.
- Please note the ensemble name(s) once if the same ensemble performs each concert or for each concert if there are multiple ensembles performing throughout the season.
- Submit only the list of pieces performed from each concert. Do not submit program notes, advertisements or performers' biographies.
- Please highlight or bold the work(s) composed in the last 25 years (since 1995), and please include the composition date and the duration of the piece (estimates are acceptable).
- Please note commissioned works and world, United States, and regional premieres.
C. Submit a representative recording and separate playlist following these guidelines:
- The recording must include one piece of music from the past 25 years. Preferably one selection represents the submitted season but this is not mandatory.
- The recording must be uploaded in MP3 format only.
- Between 15 and 30 minutes of music.
- At least one selection should be a complete piece.
- Applicants are encouraged to exclude long instrumental interludes.
- Provide a separate playlist detailing composer, title, date performed/recorded, and timing of each selection. Note which recordings are live and which are edited.
Applications will only be accepted through CAAP
| 2020 | Border CrosSing, Tonality, Cantabile Youth Singers of Silicon Valley |
|---|---|
| 2019 | C4: The Choral Conductor/Composer Collective Coro Allegro Brooklyn Youth Chorus |
| 2018 | Volti Cantori New York San Francisco Girls Chorus |
| 2017 | Choral Arts Initiative The Crossing The Esoterics Young Women's Choral Projects of San Francisco |
| 2016 | Vox Musica Manhattan Choral Ensemble Cincinnati Children's Choir |
| 2015 | Choral Chameleon San Francisco Choral Artists Portland Symphonic Girlchoir |
| 2014 | C4: The Choral Composer/Conductor Collective New York Virtuoso Singers Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir |
| 2013 | Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia VocalEssence Anima—Young Singers of Greater Chicago |
| 2012 | San Francisco Choral Artists Santa Fe Women's Ensemble Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir |
| 2011 | The Crossing International Orange Chorale of San Francisco San Francisco Girls Chorus |
| 2010 | Cantori New York Los Angeles Master Chorale Young People's Chorus of New York City |
| 2009 | The Crossing Volti Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir |
| 2008 | Chanticleer The Esoterics Peninsula Girls Chorus |
| 2007 | The New York Virtuoso Singers Volti Syracuse Children's Chorus |
| 2006 | The Esoterics Opus 7 Youth Choral Theater of Chicago |
| 2005 | VocalEssence Volti Young People's Chorus of New York City |
| 2004 | Opus 7 San Francisco Girls Chorus South Bend Chamber Singers |
| 2003 | Los Angeles Master Chorale The Esoterics Peninsula Women's Chorus Portland Symphonic Girlchoir |
| 2002 | VocalEssence Volti Opus 7 Syracuse Children's Chorus |
| 2001 | The Choral Arts Society of Washington The Esoterics Los Angeles Chamber Singers and Cappella Anima: Young Singers of Chicago |
| 2000 | San Francisco Girls Chorus Kansas City Chorale Cantori New York |
| 1999 | Dale Warland Singers The Dessoff Choirs Peninsula Women's Chorus |
| 1998 | Indianapolis Children's Choir Volti Camerata Singers |
| 1997 | VocalEssence Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati Cantori New York |
| 1996 | The Dale Warland Singers The Gregg Smith Singers Seattle Pro Musica |
| 1995 | Los Angeles Master Chorale Cantata Singers Volti (formerly known as San Francisco Chamber Singers) |
| 1994 | Chanticleer The New York Virtuoso Singers VocalEssence Chautauqua Singers |
| 1993 | The Dale Warland Singers The Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati The Cantabile Chamber Chorale The Fairbanks Choral Society |
| 1992 | Gregg Smith Singers Dale Warland Singers (second place) New York Concert Singers The New York Virtuoso Singers (second place) VocalEssence Alexandria Choral Society Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia (second place) |
Questions? Contact Karyn Castro at 202.331.7577 x250 or [email protected]