The Strad Information – Violinist Jennifer Koh wins inaugural Eroica Award for Excellent Service to Music

A champion of works by underrepresented composers, Koh obtained the brand new award on the 2022 MOLA Convention in Philadelphia on 5 June. 

’It’s particularly becoming that we now have the chance to honour Jennifer Koh with this model new award. Her pioneering spirit conjures up all of us at MOLA to mirror on our roles within the performing arts as we sit up for the subsequent 40 years.’ commented MOLA president, Georgina Govier.

Previous president of MOLA Elena Lence Talley stated, ’Jennifer is an impressive alternative for the inaugural MOLA Eroica Award on so many ranges. First off, she is prodigiously gifted and probably the most dynamic and interesting artists of our time.

’She has led a variety of commissions and premiered greater than 100 modern works whereas constructing bridges between completely different teams and amplifying the work of composers and artists of color. These are prime examples of the values and actions we search to acknowledge with the Eroica Award. They completely coincide with the extraordinary efforts that Jennifer has put into her nonprofit ARCO Collaborative.’

Koh created ARCO Collaborative to assist promote fairness and inclusivity in classical music. The nonprofit prioritises collaborative efforts by commissions and new music that highlights artists of color and ladies composers.

In the course of the pandemic, Koh commissioned and premiered 39 new solo works from various composers and shared them on social media. She turned these efforts right into a recording, Alone Collectively, incomes Koh a Grammy Award earlier this yr for ’Greatest Classical Instrumental Solo’. Koh continues to fee new works for Alone Collectively in assist of the freelance music neighborhood, members of which proceed to battle from the pandemic.

’It’s our pleasure to honour Jennifer’s seemingly limitless creativity, creativeness and vitality as she continues to raise up artists of color and ladies composers,’ Govier added. ’True illustration on our levels has the potential to encourage and encourage the subsequent era of musicians and audiences. There may be house in our world for all of us and for all of our tales.’

Celebrating its fortieth annual convention, the standards for the brand new Eroica Award included advocacy for the artwork kind, creative excellence and management. MOLA inspired nominations for many who champion underrepresented works or composers, mentor younger musicians, bridge communities, or break new floor.