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The UAM Wind Symphony has been named a national semi-finalist in three categories for the American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts.

The UAM Wind Symphony is a 2022 national semi-finalist for the American Prize Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music in the College/University Ensemble division and a 2022 national semi-finalist for the American Prize in Band/Wind Ensemble Performance in the College/University division. The American Prize states that the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music “recognizes and rewards the best performances of American music by ensembles and soloists worldwide, based on submitted recordings.”

Justin Anders is a 2022 national semi-finalist for the American Prize in Conducting in the Band/Wind Ensemble division. Anders submitted the UAM Wind Symphony’s performance from their Literature in Music album to the American Prize competitions in 2021 while he was the conductor of the UAM Wind Symphony, as well as an assistant professor of music and the chair of the Division of Music at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Since 2022, Anders has served as the interim dean of the UAM School of Arts and Humanities.

Anders said, "I cannot adequately express my feelings of pride regarding the hard work of our students. To my knowledge, this is the first national placement of a wind ensemble at UAM. I believe this shows not only the depth of strength of the music program but also the support we receive from the university and community at large."

Dr. Peggy Doss, UAM chancellor, stated, “These three unprecedented and much-deserved national recognitions of the UAM Wind Symphony confirm that the UAM Division of Music is filled with talented students and faculty. We are proud that their musical abilities are being recognized on the national stage. We also offer congratulations to Justin Anders for his leadership of this group of musicians and thank the American Prize judges for honoring his talent as a conductor. We wish the UAM Wind Symphony the best of luck as it awaits the announcement of the finalists.”

Finalists for each category will be announced in the coming weeks.

According to its website, “The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the classical arts. The American Prize is nonprofit, unique in scope and structure and is designed to evaluate, recognize and reward the best performers, ensembles, composers, directors and administrators in the United States, based on submitted recordings.”

The UAM Wind Symphony’s Literature in Music album is available on the UAM Music page on SoundCloud (soundcloud.com/uam-music).

Students in the UAM Division of Music can earn a Bachelor of Arts in music with an instrumental, a jazz, a piano or a vocal concentration or a Bachelor of Music Education with an instrumental, a piano or a vocal concentration. The division also offers a Master of Music in jazz studies degree.

For more information, contact the UAM Division of Music at (870) 460-1060.