The Summerville Orchestra is the 2023 winner of The American Prize in Orchestral Performance in the community division. The orchestra, with Wojciech Milewski as music director, was selected from applications reviewed from across the country.
The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation’s most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. Based on submitted recordings, the American Prize is unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best-performing artists, directors, ensembles and composers in the United States at professional, college and university, community and high school levels.
Now in its 13th year, The American Prize was founded in 2010 and is awarded annually in many areas of the performing arts. Thousands of artists from all 50 states have derived benefits from their participation in the contests of The American Prize, representing hundreds of communities and arts organizations across the nation.
“Serving the Lowcountry of South Carolina, the Summerville Orchestra is the epitome of community serving community,” according to The American Prize’s website. “Originally founded in 2003 by a small group of musicians who wanted to play for the pure joy of it, the Summerville Orchestra has transformed into one of the largest community orchestras in the nation, programming full-scale professional repertoire while also being a ‘rogue traditionalist’ by adding newer works, different works and creating both a classical and non-classical music experience at each concert.”
The biographical sketch on the website goes on to say the Summerville Orchestra “has blossomed into transforming the community it serves by adding five large concert performances, more than 10 chamber performances, a 10-part adult educational series titled ‘Music Chats with Wojciech,’ a podcast, live-streaming opportunities and a youth orchestra.”
Winners of The American Prize receive cash prizes, professional adjudication and regional, national and international recognition based on recorded performances. In addition to monetary rewards and written evaluations from judges, winners are profiled on The American Prize websites, where links lead to video and audio excerpts of performances.
David Katz is the chief judge of The American Prize. A professional conductor, award-winning composer, playwright, actor and arts advocate, he is the author of MUSE of FIRE, the one-man play about the art of conducting.
Joining Katz in selecting winners of The American Prize is a panel of judges of distinguished musicians representing various regions of the country. The group includes professional vocalists, conductors, composers and pianists, tenured professors, and orchestra, band and choral musicians.
“Most artists may never win a Grammy award, or a Pulitzer, or a Tony or perhaps even be nominated,” Katz said. “But that does not mean they are not worthy of recognition and reward. Quality in the arts is not limited to a city on each coast, or the familiar names, or only to graduates of a few schools. It is on view all over the United States if you take the time to look for it. The American Prize exists to encourage and herald that excellence.”
The American Prize is administered by Hat City Music Theater Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit performing arts organization based in Danbury, Connecticut.