Eighth Blackbird Awarded Meadows Prize

Eighth Blackbird Awarded Meadows Prize

The sextet eighth blackbird has been awarded the newly-established Meadows Prize by Southern Methodist University in Texas.

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NewMusicBox Staff

The sextet eighth blackbird has been awarded the newly established Meadows Prize by Southern Methodist University in Texas. Named for philanthropists Algur H. and Virginia Meadows, the prize, which was established in August 2009, is given to “professionals with an emerging international profile.” The prize includes housing for a one-to-three-month residency in Dallas, transportation expenses, studio/office space and project costs, and a stipend. In return, “recipients will be expected to interact in a substantive way with Meadows students and to leave a lasting legacy in Dallas.” As part of the prize, eighth blackbird will work with music students at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts and other local schools, as well as in the wider community.

The Meadows Prize is also intended to help spark a local, sustainable contemporary and fringe arts scene in Dallas. Its creation coincided with the opening of the AT&T Performing Arts Center on October 12. As part of this goal, eighth blackbird will curate a new music series in partnership with the Dallas Arts District. “This is a huge honor,” says Tim Munro, eighth blackbird’s flutist. “SMU’s School of the Arts has a strong national reputation with a distinguished faculty, and the AT&T center looks amazing. We can’t wait to get our feet wet in this fascinating project!”

eighth blackbird was nominated for the Meadows Prize by a committee including choreographer Paul Taylor, producer/director James Houghton, composer John Zorn, and actor Laura Linney. The other recipient is CreativeTime, an artist collective and arts consulting group. (—Condensed from the press release)