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Omaha Symphony Thrilled to Receive Award for Educational Programming

By Cheril Lee

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kios/local-kios-910076.mp3

Omaha, NE – The Omaha Symphony was recently awarded the Leonard Bernstein Award for Education Programming.

Jennifer Boomgaarden is Vice President of Education and Community Partnerships for the Symphony. She says the award is given out by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, or ASCAP, to an orchestra that demonstrates a significant commitment to performing new music. She says new music refers to works composed in the last 25 years.

Boomgaarden says one of the key programs that led to the award was the Symphony's New Music Symposium. She says the symposium is really designed to provide enrichment opportunities for young composers. Boomgaarden says, "We do a call for scores to universities across the country. We had 36 applicants and then we chose the top four of those to come to Omaha to workshop their music."

Other programs that led to the award were the Concerts for Youth Initiative. The program introduced 4th to 6th grade students to the influence of culture and technology on the creation of music. Boomgaarden says the concert featured a piece by Mason Bates, a former DJ.