Visionary Awards

The Composers Now Visionary Award recognizes members of the arts community who have made a profound, positive, and lasting impact on our society through their creative practice and advocacy. Composers Now presents the Visionary Awards each year at the Composers Now Festival Opening Event.

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Announcing 2023 Visionary Award Recipients

Adolphus Hailstork & Ellen Taaffe Zwilich

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Announcing 2022 Visionary Awards Recipients

MARY D. WATKINS & DAVID DEL TREDICI

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Announcing 2021 Visionary Awards Recipient

Joan Tower

Announcing 2020 Visionary Awards Recipient

Carman Moore

Carman Moore

Award presented by Henry Threadgill

Announcing 2019 Visionary Awards Recipients

Laura Kaminsky & T.J. Anderson

Announcing 2018 Visionary Awards Recipients

Photos by Caroline Conejero & Jeffrey Herman

Cecille Wasserman & Frank J. Oteri

Announcing 2017 Visionary Awards Recipients

Muhal Richard Abrams, Thomas Buckner, Pauline Oliveros

Announcing 2016 Visionary Awards Recipients

John Duffy & Frances Richard

Related Videos

2022 Composers Now Festival Visionary Award: Mary Watkins

"Mamie's Lament" from Emmet Till: The Opera
Lucia Bradford, mezzo-soprano

"Pap's Song" from
Dark River: The Fannie Lou Hamer Story
Philip Lima, baritone
Andrea Chinedu Nwoke, soprano
Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra
Ng Tian Hui, conductor
Darryl V. Jones, director
(dress rehearsal, April 2014)

2022 Composers Now Festival Visionary Award: David Del Tredici

(video courtesy of Boosey & Hawkes)

Composers Now: 2021 Visionary Award to Joan Tower

"Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman" (1986) São Paulo Symphony Orchestra

2017 Composers Now Festival Opening Event: Mayor's Proclamation & Visionary Awards

February 1, 2017

The Opening Event of the seventh annual Composers Now Festival featured a vibrant program of music by living composers hosted by Composers Now founder and artistic director, Tania León.

Mayor Bill de Blasio's Proclamation: 00:00
    Wednesday, February 1, 2017, as Composers Now Festival Day
    Presented by Kathleen Hughes, Assistant Commissioner of DCLA 2017

Visionary Award to Muhal Richard Abrams: 06:08
2017 Visionary Award to Thomas Buckner: 10:08
2017 Visionary Award to Pauline Oliveros (posthumously): 14:42

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