David Katz, chief judge of The American Prize, announced that the Fort Collins Symphony (FCS) is the first-place winner of the 2021 American Prize in Orchestral Performance (professional division). The orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Wes Kenney, was selected for its stellar 2019 performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9. The concert was performed and recorded during the 2018-2019 Odyssey season. In the recording, the 63-piece orchestra clearly demonstrated their prowess in their presentation of the work. According to Board president Walt Elish, “the award is yet another testament to the exceptional skill of our musicians and maestro, and the quality of our orchestra.” The FCS was also just chosen by the United Symphonies of America to represent the State of Colorado in a nationally broadcasted program.
The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation’s most comprehensive series of non-profit competitions in the musical and theater arts, unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, ensembles and composers in the United States based on submitted recordings. The American Prize was founded in 2009 and is awarded annually in many areas of the performing arts.