The winners of the 46th annual ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/ Virgil Thomson Awards for outstanding print, broadcast and new media coverage of music were announced today. The winners will be honored at a special invitation-only ceremony and reception on Wednesday, November 12th at the New York Institute of Technology Auditorium (1871 Broadway) in Manhattan.The Awards were establid in 1967 to honor the memory of composer, critic and commentator Deems Taylor, who died in 1966 after a distinguid career that included six years as President of ASCAP. The Awards have been renamed this year to also honor the memory of Virgil Thomson (1896 – 1989), one of the leading American composers and critics, and a former member of the ASCAP board of directors. The 46th ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards are made possible by the generous support of ASCAP, The ASCAP Foundation and the Virgil Thomson Foundation.The ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/ Virgil Thomson Television Broadcast Award honors Six by Sondheim, an hbo documentary program that provides an unprecedented, in-depth look at the work of Broadway lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim. Receiving honors are Sondheim, Director and Executive Producer James Lapine, Executive Producer Frank Rich, and Executive Producer for HBO, Shelia Nevins.The ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Radio Broadcast Award honors the program, “Cadenza,” one of many outstanding offerings heard on The Classical Network, WWFM, based in Trenton, New Jersey; David Osenberg, “Cadenza” host and WWFM Musical Director.
The award was establid in memory of the great Hungarian composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist, Béla Bartók (1881-1945).The Virgil Thomson Award for Outstanding Music Criticism recognizes Drew Massey for his book, John Kirkpatrick, American Music, and the Printed Page, publid by University of Rochester Press.
