The College of Creative Arts congratulates the Miami University Symphony Orchestra (MUSO) for their third place win in the 2020 American Prize award, college division. The American Prize is the nation's most comprehensive series of nonprofit online contests in the musical and theater arts. Founded in 2010 and now celebrating its tenth anniversary, The American Prize has awarded nearly $100,000 in prizes in all categories since its creation. Thousands of artists representing all fifty states have derived benefit from their participation in the contests of The American Prize.   

David Katz, the founder and chief judge stated: "If there ever were a year to encourage all performing artists and teachers, of every color and creed, to thank them for their service to music and theater, to education, and to enriching their students, players and audiences with the spiritual nourishment that only the arts can provide --this is the year.  The talented individuals and ensembles...all deserve good news at such a difficult time for the arts and for the world."

The Miami University Symphony Orchestra, with a history dating back to 1890, is dedicated to the quality performance of the orchestral repertoire from the Baroque era through modern times, including world premieres by contemporary composers. The ensemble includes undergraduate and graduate students of all majors in pursuit of high artistic standards, as well as the professional and artistic growth of its members. The Miami Orchestra is particularly known for its innovative projects, which push the boundaries of what a symphony orchestra is in the 21st century. These include  multidisciplinary initiatives and collaborations with the most diverse artists, ensembles and organizations. 

The MUSO submission to the American Prize included the performance of Piano Concerto in F "Three Tone Poems for Piano and Orchestra" composed by Roger Davis, Miami professor emeritus of music. The video of this performance from the MUSO's concert at Cincinnati's Music Hall, March 2019 can be viewed in the link provided. “Our symphony orchestra trains and performs at incredibly high standards under the expert direction of our conductor, Ricardo Averbach.” added Liz Mullenix, Dean of the College of Creative Arts. “I am proud that our outstanding orchestra is being recognized for their dedication, talent and skill.”

The two orchestras that came in first and second place, Baylor University Symphony Orchestra and the University of Kansas Symphony Orchestra, belong to Schools of Music that function as conservatories, while the MUSO orchestra is part of a Department of Music within a liberal arts institution. “We were honored to place alongside such outstanding university symphony orchestras,” shared Ricardo Averbach, Director of the Miami University Symphony Orchestra. 

More information can be found on the American Prize blog.