Report From the Chair
2021 Report
Each year the Barlow Endowment grows and develops in new ways and 2021 was no exception. In January, Daniel Bradshaw began his tenure as Executive Director. Dan’s years of experience as a Barlow applicant and winner, along with his service on the Board of Advisors, contributed to a professional and dynamic summer meeting session.
Building on lessons learned last year, initial judging rounds took place remotely prior to a happy return to the beautiful mountains of Snowbird for the 2021 summer judging. Wonderful representatives from this year’s prize consortium joined our Board of Advisors and Pulitzer Prize winning composer, Tania Leon, to select Texu Kim as the 2021 Barlow Prize winner.
This summer we bid a sad farewell to Rebecca Ott, who retired from her position at BYU in August 2021. Rebecca’s work as the Barlow Administrator for nearly twenty years has been outstanding and her incredible knowledge and impeccable management will be sorely missed. It takes two people to replace her – Francie Jenson has accepted the position as the new administrator and Esther Grover is quickly becoming our in-house Barlow Endowment expert as the Barlow Program Assistant.
Other changes in personnel in 2021 include saying goodbye to Neil Thornock at the close of his five-year term as a Barlow Advisor. We are indeed grateful for Neil’s expertise, counsel, and overall contribution to the Endowment! We wish him well in his future endeavors. Chanda Dancy-Morizawa and Kevin Anthony have both accepted three-year terms on the Board of Advisors beginning January 2022. We look forward to working with them.
Plans are moving forward for a 40th anniversary celebration of the Barlow Endowment. This multi-day event will take place in February 2024 in the new BYU Music Building currently under construction. We look forward to a memorable celebration of Barlow composers, performers, and compositions in this beautiful new space.
It is always gratifying for us to see the fruits of our labors as Barlow prize winning composers are recognized for their talent. 2019 General Commission winner, Andy Akiho, composed a new work for percussion quartet, “Seven Pillars”. This piece earned Andy a 2022 GRAMMY® nomination for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. The work consists of eleven movements – seven quartets and one solo for each member of Sandbox Percussion, who also received a nomination for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance. Successes like these are thrilling to see.
I’m continually grateful for the foresight of Milt and Gloria Barlow who founded this endowment. It has produced benefits and blessings to generations of composers. The Barlow family continues to participate and support this effort and we are grateful to them.