Wartburg Community Symphony conductor finalist for American Prize
Waverly, IA (07/11/2024) — Rebecca Nederhiser, conductor of the Wartburg Community Symphony, is a finalist for the American Prize - Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming.
Nederhiser submitted the symphony's February 2023 performance, "Music Takes Flight," for consideration. The concert featured the world premiere of Jocelyn Hagen's "Messages from Everywhere," a groundbreaking work combining the orchestra, choir, AI imagery, poetry and cutting-edge computer technology. The piece was commissioned to celebrate the symphony's 70th season. Other bird song and nature-themed pieces included Haydn's Symphony no. 83, "The Hen"; Ralph Vaughan William's "The Lark Ascending"; and Ottorino Respighi's "The Birds."
"The WCS continues to push creative boundaries and engage our community in meaningful ways. I am thankful for all of the creative forces, board members and musicians that made this opportunity possible. We have a bright future ahead!" Nederhiser said.
Unlike traditional concert and art or video combos, the symphony did not use a click track to sync the work but partnered with Scott Winters of Ion Concert Music to utilize a syncing software that provided a more immersive multimedia performance.
"I love trying new things and pushing performers and audiences," Hagen said of creating the commissioned piece. "This was my first time working with surround sound in a composition, and it's also the first time that artificial intelligence was used to create video for an orchestra performance. That's quite a feat. Not all groups are willing to push boundaries and try new things. The Wartburg Community Symphony orchestra welcomed me and these ideas with open arms."
A video of the performance is available at http://qr.wartburg.edu/symph24.
"This collaborative piece, performed at our concert over a year ago, continues to provide momentum for the symphony and its impact in our community. It speaks to Dr. Nederhiser's ability to create innovative and exciting programming that inspires and resonates with our audiences," said Joanne Jones, co-president of the Wartburg Community Symphony Association.
The American Prize - Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming honors the memory of the Lithuanian conductor and director of the Lithuanian State Opera. The award recognizes the best achievement in the unique field of orchestral programming, where the selection of repertoire by knowledgeable, creative and courageous music directors builds orchestras and audiences, educates young people and adults, and enriches the community.
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