Song of the Jasmine helps Cleveland Museum of Art win award for 'Adventurous Programming'

Performing Arts Series at Cleveland Museum of Art wins award for 'Adventurous Programming'

Zachary Lewis, Cleveland Plain Dealer
December 15, 2015
Original Article

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Christmas has come a few days early for the Performing Arts Series at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

On Monday, the series announced its receipt of a 2016 CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, an honor bestowed annually by Chamber Music America and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

The award recognizes outstanding commitment to the music of the last 25 years, on the part of both performers and presenters, as well as the ability of winners to attract audiences.

"You never expect this sort of thing, but I've always had a keen eye on it," said Tom Welsh, director of the Performing Arts Series. "It shows great respect [for the museum] in the field nationally, and we take that as an honor."

The museum won in the mixed repertory division of the "Large Presenters" category, a group that includes other art museums as well as universities and independent performing arts centers. The category also includes a jazz division.

Specifically, Welsh said, the award acknowledges six performances or series of events on the museum's 2014-15 season: the Calder Quartet, the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, Ragamala Dance Company and Rudresh Mahanthappa, the Mivos Quartet, Roomful of Teeth, and Wu Man.

Welsh also said the award entails a small honorarium and a presentation at Chamber Music America's national conference Jan. 10 in New York.

As it happens, this is not the first time the museum has received a CMA/ASCAP Award. The museum also won in 2005, during the tenures of longtime former curator of music Karel Paukert and former assistant curator Paul Cox.

"There's a long precedent here," Welsh said, "and it's a tip of the hat to the kind of programming we do."