October 20, 2005

Nemmers nominations sought for 2006

The School of Music is accepting nominations for its 2006 Michael Nemmers Prize in Musical Composition.

The prize, which is presented every two years, honors classical composers of outstanding achievement who have significantly influenced the field of composition and remain productive. It carries a cash award of $100,000, a performance by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and a residency of four non-consecutive weeks at the School of Music.

The inaugural winner of the Nemmers Prize is John Adams, who also is the recipient of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize in music.

Nominations for the Nemmers Prize will be reviewed by a selection committee made up of three individuals of stature in the music community. The CSO will designate one committee member. The remaining two will be selected by the School of Music. The prize is awarded without regard to citizenship or institutional affiliation.

The Michael Nemmers Prize in Musical Composition is made possible through a generous gift from the late Erwin E. Nemmers and Frederic E. Nemmers, who in 1994 enabled the creation of the Erwin Plein Nemmers Prize in Economics and the Frederic Esser Prize in Mathematics, both leading awards in their fields. 

Nominations for the 2006 prize will be accepted until Feb. 1, 2006, with the announcement of the winner scheduled for late spring.

Nominations preferably should come from recognized experts in the music profession and describe the nominee’s accomplishments and qualifications in no more than two pages.

Self-nominations will not be accepted. Northwestern faculty and CSO employees are not eligible. 

Send nominations to: 

Secretary to the Selection Committee, Michael Ludwig Nemmers Prize in Musical Composition, Office of the Dean, School of Music, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL  60208