Music's Roger Briggs wins award for 'adventurous programming'

Roger Briggs, a professor of music at Western Washington University, was given an ASCAP award from the League of American Orchestras this past summer.

Each year, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers and the league offer American orchestras Awards for Adventurous Programming, recognizing concerts that stimulate the audience, build the repertoire and strengthen support for new work in the U.S. and throughout the world. The awards recognize orchestras of all sizes whose most recent programming demonstrates a strong commitment to contemporary music.

The award, for second-place, was given to the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra, of which Briggs is the artistic director.

Awards are based not only on the number of works performed which were written in the last 25 years, but also on the variety and creativity of new-music programming and presentation during the season. The independent jury gives special attention to commissioned works and to world, United States, and local premieres.

Since their establishment in 1959, The ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming have paid more than $600,000 to American orchestras.