BMI Congratulates its American Academy of Arts and Letters Inductees
The American Academy of Arts and Letters, which was founded in 1898 as an honor society of the country’s leading architects, artists, composers, and writers, has announced that three of BMI’s eminent composers have been chosen for induction: John Luther Adams, David Sanford and Annea Lockwood.
Adams, who draws inspiration from the natural world for his ambitious, large-scale compositions, secured the Pulitzer Prize for his piece, Become Ocean, which also won the GRAMMY award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2015. He was also a recipient of the Heinz Award for his contributions to raising environmental awareness. Composing for orchestra, chamber ensembles, percussion and electronic media, Adams’ works have been performed all over the world by the Chicago Symphony, Seattle Symphony, the Radio Netherland Philharmonic, and the JACK Quartet, among others. He has also been composer-in-residence with the Anchorage Symphony, Anchorage Opera, Fairbanks Symphony, Arctic Chamber Orchestra and the Alaska Public Radio Network.
David Sanford’s honors include the Rome Prize, fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Radcliffe Institute. He was also the arranger behind cellist Matt Haimovitz’s GRAMMY-nominated album Meeting of the Spirits. Having received commissions from the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Speculum Musicae, the Meridian Arts Ensemble, the Fromm and Koussevitzky Foundations, and the Barlow Endowment, Sanford’s works have been performed by the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra under Kent Nagano, the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra under Marin Alsop, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and the Chicago Symphony Chamber Players, among others.
A recipient of the 2007 Henry Cowell Award, Annea Lockwood is known for her explorations of the rich world of natural acoustic sounds and environments, in works ranging from sound art and installations, through text-sound and performance art to concert music. Her music has been performed in many venues and festivals including MACBA Barcelona, De Ijsbreker, the Other Minds Festival-San Francisco, the Walker Art Center, the Whitney Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum, Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Westdeutscher Rundfunk, CNMAT Berkeley and the Asia-Pacific Festival, among others. Recent projects include commissions by the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Jennifer Hymer, and a collaboration with Thomas Buckner.
Congratulations to all three composers. BMI is proud to represent your extraordinary music!
Community
Connect with BMI & Professional Songwriters