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).
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.
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 Band, U.S. Marine Band, BYU Wind Symphony, UCLA Wind Ensemble, Southern 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 | 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 |