Establishment of the Aaron N. Ornstein Award

Aaron N. Ornstein Award - Musical America 1958-07 Vol 78 Iss 8

Aaron N. Ornstein Award – Musical America 1958-07 Vol 78 Iss 8

In 1958, the Associated Music Teachers League (AMTL) took a significant step in promoting original piano compositions by launching the Aaron N. Ornstein Award. This prestigious competition sought to celebrate creativity and technical excellence among emerging composers while reflecting AMTL’s enduring commitment to advancing the musical arts.

 

Announced in Musical America (July 1958 issue), the award offered a $250 prize and the extraordinary opportunity for the winner’s composition to debut at AMTL’s annual Town Hall concert in New York City. To qualify, participants had to be native or naturalized U.S. citizens aged 21 to 35, and their submissions needed to be original works for piano in two or more movements, lasting 10 to 12 minutes, with a level of difficulty comparable to Maurice Ravel’s Sonatine. These high standards underscored the League’s mission to foster excellence in composition.

 

Cecile Hindman, coordinating the award from AMTL’s headquarters at 315 West 57th Street, played a central role in organizing the competition. She ensured the initiative ran smoothly, from managing applications to coordinating the performance details. The submission deadline for the inaugural award was December 31, 1958, as publicized in multiple music journals.

 

Aaron Orenstein Award 1959, Music Journal 1959-01: Vol 17 Iss 1

Aaron Orenstein Award 1959, Music Journal 1959-01: Vol 17 Iss 1

By January 1959, the award was officially unveiled in Music Journal (January 1959 issue), marking the start of a new era for AMTL. The Aaron N. Ornstein Award quickly established itself as a platform for promising composers to gain recognition and share their artistry with a wider audience. With its combination of financial incentive, public performance, and high artistic standards, the award symbolized AMTL’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of classical musicians.

 

Through this initiative, AMTL not only enriched its own legacy but also strengthened its role in supporting American composers and the advancement of piano literature.

 

https://archive.org/details/sim_music-journal_1959-01_17_1/page/86/mode/2up, Music Journal 1959-01: Vol 17 Iss 1, Musical America 1958-07: Vol 78 Iss 8