Tony Arnold winner of re-launched Brandeis Creative Arts Award

The soprano will hold a series of performances and engage with the Brandeis community throughout the school year

Photo/courtesy

Brandeis University has renewed its Creative Arts Award and named soprano Tony Arnold the first winner of the honor in over 20 years.

Launched in 1956, The Brandeis Creative Arts Award has been presented to scores of the most distinguished artists, performers and writers of the 20th century, including Tennessee Williams, George Balanchine, Leonard Bernstein, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Arthur Miller. In 1995, it evolved into The Poses Institute of the Arts at Brandeis University, which honored extraordinary artistic achievement by awarding annual residencies for artists in diverse artistic disciplines.

After a two decade hiatus, the Brandeis Division of Creative Arts has revitalized the award to build on its storied past and underscore the university's continuing commitment to the arts.  The recipients of the award will participate in a unique yearlong residency, where they will interact with students and faculty in classrooms and studios across campus.

On Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 2 p.m. at the Rose Art Museum, Interim President Lisa Lynch will present the Brandeis Creative Arts Award to Arnold, followed by a unique performance by the award winner. Arnold will perform a series of musical pieces selected in response to the artwork on display at the Rose by Roy Lichtenstein and Lisa Yuskavage. This event is free and open to the public.

“As one of the most sought-after performers in the world, soprano Tony Arnold is a pioneer who expands musical boundaries like no other,” said composer Yu-Hui Chang, chair of the music department at Brandeis.  “Her unsurpassable vocal artistry and powerful stage presence sets a gold standard in today’s contemporary music performance. Her fearless approach and her full commitment to the integrity of each musical composition unleash the imagination of numerous composers. Tony Arnold is a highly inspirational figure and a dynamic force that propels the creation and performance of 21st century music.”

Subsequent campus events will engage with three topics: identity, politics, and embodiment of voice, the last of which Arnold describes as “the filtering of ideas through a corporeal kaleidoscope.” Arnold will present a new multidisciplinary artwork created with Brandeis students on April 16, 2016 at the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts. A complete residency schedule is available here.

Categories: Alumni, Arts, Student Life

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