The Laurel Leaf Awards

The Laurel Leaf Awards (1951-2012)

The Laurel Leaf Certificate of Appreciation was given by ACA nearly every year beginning in 1951 in recognition of "distinguished achievement in fostering and encouraging American music." Among the recipients of The Laurel Leaf over the years are the Juilliard String Quartet; the American Music Center; Leonard Slatkin; the Minnesota Composers Forum (American Composers Forum); WNYC, New York's public radio; and the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group.

Past Laurel Leaf Award Recipients

2012    Innova Recordings, Philip Blackburn, Director
2009    Phyllis Bryn-Julson, soprano
2008    Harold Rosenbaum, choral conductor
2007    Fred Sherry, cellist
2003    Greg Smith, The Gregg Smith Singers
1999    Lou Rodgers, Producing Artistic Director, Golden Fleece Ltd., The Composers Chamber Theatre
1998    David Alan Miller, Music Director, Albany Symphony Orchestra
1997    Speculum Musicae
1996    Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group; Ernest Fleischmann, Executive Vice President and Managing Director
1995    Minnesota Composers Forum
1994    Society for New Music; Syracuse- Neva Pilgrim, Program Director
1993    Leonard Slatkin
1992    Cleveland Chamber Symphony; Edwin London, Music Director
1991    The Boston Musica Viva; Richard Pittman, Music Director
1990    Center for New Music, University of Iowa / in memoriam,William Hibbard
1989    Betty Allen / Harlem School of the Arts / Mimi Stern-Wolfe
1988    American Music Center
1987    Francis Thorne, American Composers Orchestra; WNYC / New York Public Radio
1986    Raymond Des Roches, American Academy in Rome
1985    Nicolas Slonimsky, American Society of University Composers
1984    Opus One / Max Schubel, Mrs. Ernest S. Heller
1983    Lukas Foss
1982    The Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund for Music, Inc.
1981    Carter Harman / Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
1980    John Duffy / Meet the Composer, Joseph Machlis
1979    Ralph Shapey, Contemporary Chamber Players, University of Chicago
1978    James Dixon
1977    Arthur Weisberg, The Contemporary Chamber Ensemble
1976    Gunther Schuller
1975    Nelson Rockefeller
1974    Teresa Sterne
1973    The MacDowell Colony
1972    Leopold Stokowski
1971    Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University
1970    Otto Luening, Harris Danziger / Third Street Music Settlement School
1969    Group for Contemporary Music, Charles Wuorinen and Harvey Sollberger, directors
1968    Aaron Copland
1967    Radio Station WBAI, New York; Fromm Foundation, Composers Forum
1966    Henry A. Moe, Lawrence Morton
1965    Henry Cowell, Avery Claflin, Elizabeth Ames
1964    Walter Hinrichsen, Margaret L. Crofts, Max Pollikoff
1963    Carl Haverlin, Claire Reis
1962    Bethany Beardslee, Hugh Ross, Samuel Rosenbaum
1961    Mrs. Helen Thompson, William Strickland
1960    Howard Mitchell, Oliver Daniel
1959    Martha Graham, Jack Benny
1958    Thor Johnson
1957    Howard Hanson, Juilliard String Quartet
1956    Robert Whitney
1955    George Szell
1954    Green Bay (WI) Symphonietta
1953    Dr. Herman Neuman
1952    Maro and Anahid Ajemian
1951    Radio Station WGBH, Boston