Kennedy Center Friedheim Award


The Kennedy Center Friedheim Award was an annual award given for instrumental music composition by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1978 and ended in 1995. The award was given only to American composers.
The award was established by Eric Friedheim, the publisher of Travel Agent magazine and a patron of the arts, and funded by the Eric Friedheim Foundation and the Kennedy Center Corporate Fund. He endowed the award in honor of his father, the pianist Arthur Friedheim, who had studied with Franz Liszt.
The first prize was US$5,000, the second prize was $2,500, the third prize was $1,000, and the fourth prize was $500. There was no fourth prize until 1984, and the third prize was originally $500. The winners were narrowed down from often over 100 entries, to four or five finalists. The works were performed and the awards were given at an awards ceremony, which was held each year at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The award alternated every other year between orchestral and chamber music.
From 1978 to 1995, 18 Friedheim Awards concerts were performed, drawn from 1,883 submissions, and a total of $158,500 in cash prizes was distributed to 70 American composers.
The awards came to an end following the last ceremony in 1995, when Eric Friedheim decided to withdraw his financial support, choosing to instead donate his remaining financial assets to the Peabody Institute.

Winners

1978

  • Vincent Persichetti
  • Aurelio de la Vega
  • Stanisław Skrowaczewski

    1979

  • George Rochberg
  • Claude Baker
  • Claus Adams

    1980

  • John Harbison
  • Jacob Druckman
  • Ramon Zupko

    1981

  • Joseph Schwantner
  • Peter Tod Lewis
  • Ezra Laderman
  • Dan Locklair

    1982

  • Gundaris Pone
  • David Del Tredici
  • Thomas Ludwig

    1983

  • Thomas Oboe Lee
  • George Perle
  • Karel Husa

    1984

  • Edward Applebaum
  • William Kraft
  • Marilyn Shrude
  • Donald Erb
  • Claude Baker

    1985

  • Robert Erickson
  • Donald Martino
  • Gunther Schuller
  • Stephen Hartke
  • No fourth place awarded

    1986

  • Richard Wernick
  • Bernard Rands
  • John Adams
  • Joseph Schwantner
  • No fourth place awarded

    1987

  • Gunther Schuller
  • Barbara Kolb
  • Steven Mackey
  • Tod Machover

    1988

  • Christopher Rouse
  • George Rochberg
  • Stephen Paulus
  • Joan Tower

    1989

  • George Tsontakis
  • Chinary Ung
  • No second place was awarded
  • David Lang
  • Michael Daugherty

    1990

  • Ralph Shapey
  • William Kraft
  • Daron Aric Hagen
  • Frederick Bianchi
  • No fourth place awarded

    1991

  • Richard Wernick
  • Donald Crockett
  • Sebastian Currier
  • Stephen Jaffe

    1992

  • Shulamit Ran
  • Richard Wernick
  • George Tsontakis
  • Emma Lou Diemer

    1993

  • David Froom
  • Osvaldo Golijov
  • Dean Drummond
  • Steven Mackey
  • No third or fourth place awarded

    1994

  • Leon Kirchner
  • Tison Street
  • John Anthony Lennon
  • Jay Alan Yim
  • No fourth place awarded

    1995

  • Osvaldo Golijov
  • Ezequiel Viñao
  • Bright Sheng
  • Charles Wuorinen
  • Miguel del Aguila