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Prize Recipient

2023 Barlow Prize Winner

The Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University proudly announces commission winners for 2023.

After reviewing 454 submissions from 46 countries, the judging panel awarded Viet Cuong of Las Vegas, Nevada, the $15,000 Barlow Prize to compose a major new work for solo guitar (nylon string), to be premiered by a consortium of international performers: Ahmed Dickinson, Martha Masters, Meng Su, and Xuefei Yang.

Called “alluring” and “wildly inventive” by The New York Times, the music of American composer Viet Cuong has been performed on six continents by musicians and ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, Eighth Blackbird, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Sō Percussion, Alarm Will Sound, Atlanta Symphony, Sandbox Percussion, Albany Symphony, PRISM Quartet, and Dallas Winds, among many others. He is currently the California Symphony’s Young American Composer-in-Residence, the Pacific Symphony’s Composer-in-Residence, and serves as Assistant Professor of Music Composition at The University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Cuong holds degrees from Princeton University (MFA/PhD), the Curtis Institute of Music (AD), and Peabody Conservatory (BM/MM).

Viet Cuong

2023 Barlow Prize Honorable Mention

The judges also granted Luis Ramírez of Toronto, Canada, the distinction of Honorable Mention.

Born and raised in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Luis Ramírez (b.1992) is a Mexican-Canadian composer currently pursuing a doctorate with Randolph Peters at York University. He has received commissions from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Trio Kalysta, and GroundSwell, was chosen as a composer fellow for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in 2020, and he was recently commissioned for a second time by the TSO as part of their 2022/23 NextGen Composers program.

Luis Ramírez

Prize Recipients
YEAR SELECTED COMPOSER PIECE ENSEMBLE (S)
2022
Youth Orchestra
Bobby Ge, USA TBA Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, New York Youth Symphony
and Guangzhou Symphony Youth Orchestra
2021
Sinfonietta
Texu Kim, USA Līlā Alarm Will Sound, The London Sinfonietta, The Oakland Symphony Orchestra
and The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
2020
Song Cycle for Soprano and Piano
Christopher Trapani, USA the color of where you can never go Tony Arnold, Sharon Harms, Carrie Henneman Shaw, Diane Reich
2019
Pierrot Ensemble with Percussion + Electronics
Bekah Simms, Canada Metamold Crash Ensemble, Eighth Blackbird, New York New Music Ensemble
2018
SATB Choir
Tawnie Olson, Canada Beloved of the Sky Seraphic Fire, The Crossing, and BYU Singers
2017
Reed Quintet
Stacy Garrop, USA Rites For the Afterlife Akropolis Quintet, Calefax Reed Quintet, and BYU Reed Quintet
2016
Violin-Piano duo
Gilad Cohen, USA Late Shadow David Bowlin and Spencer Myer, Duo Diorama,
and Alexander Woods and pianist
2015
Symphony Orchestra
Alberto Colla, Italy Ode by the Earth (Symphony N.4) Guiyang Symphony Orchestra at the Beijing Modern Music Festival, San Antonio Symphony, and Utah Symphony
2014
Saxophone Quartet
Ben Hjertmann, USA Awake, Alive, Amok, Ajar US Air Force Band Saxophone Quartet,
PRISM, and Zzyzx
2013
Wind Ensemble
Narong Prangcharoen, Thailand Lokuttara Florida State University Wind Orchestra,
United States Marine Band, 
BYU Wind Symphony
2012
A Capella Choir
Forrest Pierce, USA Gratitude Sutra BBC Singers, Latvian Radio Choir, Volti
2011
Woodwind Quintet
Clint Needham, USA Imaginary Dances Fifth House, Imani Winds, Orpheus Winds
2010
Piano Trio
Dan Visconti, USA Lonesome Roads Deseret Piano Trio, Gryphon Trio, Triple Helix
2009
Trombone Concerto
Benjamin Ellin, England Pandora Joseph Alessi and the BYU Philharmonic Orchestra
2008
String Quartet
Harold Meltzer, USA Aqua Avalon String Quartet, Lydian Quartet, Pacifica Quartet
2007
Percussion Ensemble
Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez, Mexico Memos Nexus, Kroumata, So Percussion
2006
Wind Ensemble
David Rakowski, USA Cantina for Wind Orchestra University of Michigan Symphony BandU.S. Marine BandBYU Wind Symphony, UCLA Wind EnsembleSouthern Methodist University Meadows Wind Ensemble
2005
Chamber Ensemble
Luca Antignani, Italy Il Viaggio di Humbert Network for New Music Ensemble, Indiana University New Music Ensemble, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, and Ensemble X
2004
Choral Work
Judith Bingham, England Ghost Towns of the American West VocalEssence, BBC Singers, University of Utah Singers
2003
Orchestral Work
Brian Current, Canada Symphonies in Slanted Time American Composer’s Orchestra and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
2002
Organ Solo
Aaron Travers, USA Exodus Organ Consortium: Fred Swann, Pamela Decker, Kimberly Marshall, Christopher Young, and Donald Cook
2001
Sacred Song Cycle
Kenneth Frazelle, USA From the Song of Songs Erie Mills
2000
Choral Work
No Winner Selected
1999
Orchestra Work
Kevin Puts, USA Symphony No. 2 Utah Symphony and Cincinnati Symphony
1998
Piano Work
Henry Martin, USA At Midnight’s Hour Logan Skelton
1997
Choral Music
Maija Einfelde, Latvia Psalm 15 BYU Singers, Kansas City Chorale, Netherlands Radio Choir, Vancouver Chamber Choir
1996
String Quartet
Chris Theofanidis, USA Visions and Miracles Cassatt Quartet, Cuarteto Latinoamericano, Muir Quartet
1995
Orchestral Work
David Dzubay, USA Sun Moon Stars Rain Minnesota Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, St. Louis Symphony
1994
Chamber Music
Zhou Long, China Tian Ling Wu Man and the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble
1993
Choral Music
Joseph Lukasik, USA Ho Hiyuwaye (A Voice I Send) University of Colorado University Choir and Dale Warland Singers
1992
Orchestral Music
Otto Ketting, Netherlands Symphony No. 3 Baltimore Symphony
1991
Brass Quintet
Timothy Greatbatch, USA Scenes from the Brothers Grimm Empire Brass
1991
Chamber Music
Ka Nin Chan, Hong Kong Among Friends Carnegie Chamber Players
1990
Concert Band/Wind Ensemble
David Gillingham, USA Heroes, Lost and Fallen: A Vietnam Memorial University of Illinois Band
1989
Choral Music
No Winner Selected
1988
Orchestra
Gerard Brophy, Australia
Mark Phillips, USA
Turning St. Louis Symphony
1987
Chamber Music
Daron Hagen, USA J’entends Lehner Trio
1986
Band/Wind Ensemble
Michael Colgrass, USA Winds of Nagual Band/Wind Ensemble
1985
Choral Music
L. Dean Nuernberger, USA Planctus Super Iniquitates Hominum Choral Music