2023 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards Announced

ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams has announced the recipients of the 2023 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, which are eligible to young creators of concert music ranging in age from 13 to 30. Established as The ASCAP Foundation Young Composer Awards in 1979 with funding from The ASCAP Foundation Jack and Amy Norworth Fund, the program grants cash prizes to composers whose works are selected through a juried national competition. These composers may be American citizens, permanent residents or students possessing U.S. student visas. Following his death in 1996, the Young Composer program was renamed to honor the memory of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Morton Gould, who served as President of ASCAP and The ASCAP Foundation from 1986 to 1994, to honor his lifelong commitment to encouraging young creators. (A child prodigy himself, Gould’s first composition was published by G. Schirmer when he was only six years of age.) In addition to the Norworth Fund, The ASCAP Foundation Irving Caesar Fund also provides financing for the Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. This year’s Morton Gould Young Composer Awards composers/judges were Lisa Bielawa, Patrick Grant, Joseph Jones, Shuying Li, Tamar Muskal, Jorge Sosa, and Kathleen Tagg.

The 2023 Morton Gould Young Composer Award recipients are listed below with their place of birth and current residence followed by the title of their award-winning composition, its instrumentation, and duration. Recipients under the age of 18 are listed by state of residence:

Liam Cummins (b. 2004 in Mansfield, OH; currently in New York, NY): Essay for orchestra [14′];

Sophia Kunxu Dou (currently in NY): Dance of Unconscious Particles for string quartet [4′];

Grace Ann Lee (b. 1996 in Seoul, South Korea; currently in Ann Arbor, MI): Emerald Night Sky for orchestra [10′]:

Jacky Jiaqi Liu (b. 2002 in Beijing, China; currently in New York, NY): Crossing for orchestra [10’30”];

Reid Merzbacher (b. 1998 in Cambridge, MA; currently in Brooklyn, NY); We’ve Made It This Far for 2 pianos and two percussion [15’45”];

Marc Migó (b. 1993 in Barcelona, Spain; currently in New York, NY): Concerto Grosso No. 1 “The Seance” for baroque flute, two violins, viola, cello, violone and harpsichord [9′];

Yash Pazhianur a.k.a. Yash Paz (b. 2003 in Princeton, NJ; currently in New York, NY); On the Threshold of Inevitable Madness for solo piano [15′];

Alyssa Regent (b. 1995 in Guadeloupe; currently in New York, NY): Un Coin de Ciel Brulait (Burnt a Corner of the Sky) for string quartet [16′];

Dorian Tabb (b. 2010, currently in NY): Hymn For a Forgotten People for string quartet [6’25”];

Ziyi Tao (b. 2002 in Beijing, China; currently in Forest Hills, NY): ALL for orchestra [15′];

Alex Tedrow (b. 1999 in Shoals, IN; currently in Washington, DC): Jeat for alto saxophone duo with electronics [9′];

Isabelle Tseng (currently in Gainesville, FL): Gardyloo for solo piano [5’45”];

Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg (b. 2000, currently in Tenafly, NJ): NIGHTTOWN, an operatic reimagining of James Joyce’s Ulysses for nine singers and orchestra
[1 hr 40′];

Yiqi Xue (b. 2001 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; currently in Kansas City, MO): Ride the wind and cleave the waves for nine traditional Chinese instruments [9′];

Christian A. Yom (currently in NY): Sansori for alto flute doubling C flute, harp, and string quartet [6′]; and

Charlie Zhong (currently in MA): Like a Single Star in the Night Sky for orchestra [5’28”].

The following composers received Honorable Mention:

Lucy Chen (b. 2005; currently in MD): Water Interludes for brass ensemble, water percussion, piano, and strings [8’50”];

Sean Danielson (b. Muscatine, IA; currently in Chicago, IL): Prelude, Elegy, and Phantasm for violin and piano, Mov. 1- Prelude [8’45”];

Yaz Lancaster (b. 1996 in Mountain View, CA; currently in New York, NY): OUROBOROS for solo soprano, two high voices, electric guitar, violin, cello, and media [22’10”];

Albert K. Lu (currently in MD): A Turbulent Festival for flute, clarinet, 2 pianos, and string quartet [4″11″];

Johnny MacMillan (b. Toronto, Canada; currently in Rochester, NY): Songs from the Seventh Floor for string quartet [10’23”];

Christopher Duong Nguyen (b. 2001 in Rome, GA; currently in Canton, GA): Adrenalize for wind ensemble [3’27”];

Cole Reyes (b. 1998 in Bartlett, IL; currently in Brooklyn, NY): Shadowstains for flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and percussion [11′];

Gabriel Stossel (b. 2001 in Columbus, OH; currently in Cleveland, OH): Four Fractals for unaccompanied violin [11’06”]; and

Philina Hanyi Zhang (currently in NY): Siren Meanders for flute, bassoon, and piano [6’28”].

In addition, Marc Migó was recognized by the panel with the 2023 Leo Kaplan Award, created in memory of the distinguished attorney who served as ASCAP Special Distribution Advisor. The award is funded by the Kaplan Family.