For more information on Roger Sessions, please consult his Special Citation page.
For distinguished musical composition by an American in any of the larger forms including chamber, orchestral, choral, opera, song, dance, or other forms of musical theatre, which has had its first performance in the United States during the year, One thousand dollars ($1,000).
Concerto for Orchestra, by Roger Sessions
First performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra on October 23, 1981, Seiji Ozawa, conductor.
Winning Work
The Jury
The Jury
Richard Wernick(Chair)*
Professor of Music, University of Pennsylvania
Dominick Argento*
Professor of Music, University of Minnesota
Charles Wuorinen*
Composer; Faculty, Manhattan School of Music
Winners in Music
David Del Tredici
A work for soprano solo and orchestra, commissioned by the St. Louis Symphony for its 100th anniversary and premiered by that orchestra on February 23, 1980.
Joseph Schwantner
First performed by the American Composers Orchestra on January 29, 1979 in Alice Tully Hall New York City.
Michael Colgrass
Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic and premiered by that orchestra October 20, 1977.
1982 Prize Winners
Martin Bernheimer
For classical music criticism.