The Paderewski Prize for American Composers(akaPaderewski Fund for the Encouragement of American Composers) was a prize awarded to American composers every three years from 1901 to 1948. The prizes were sums of money ($1000 for a symphonic work, $500 or chorus and chamber) offered by the Trustees of the Paderewski Fund for American composers of (i) the best symphonic music and (ii) the best chamber music. For reference, $1000 in 1920 would be worth about $12,331 in 2014, assuming an annual inflation rate of 2.71%. The prestige of the prize far outweighed the cash benefit. In most cases, the publicity from the prizes led to assurances of international performances.
Paderewski established a similar fund for Composers in Leipzig in 1898.
History
On May 15, 1900, Paderewski established the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Trust of $10,000. In November 1900, Paderewski defined a series of prizes, under the Paderewski Trust, for the encouragement of American composers. Initially the prize categories, limited to American composers, were (i) piece for full orchestra, (ii) piece for chorus with orchestra accompaniment, with or without solo voice parts (iii) a piece for chamber music for any combination of instruments.[1] The works were submitted anonymously — under an assumed name or motto, accompanied with a seal envelope containing the composers name; and the works must never have been performed in public or offered at any previous competition.
The prize was actually intended to launch in 1897. In a letter dated April 21, 1896, Paderewski expressed to William Steinway his gratitude to Americans, with $10,000, his wish to establish a fund with Henry Lee Higginson of Boston and William Mason of New York serving as co-trustees. The initial prize sums were to be $500 for a full symphony work, $500 for a choral work with orchestra, and $200 for a chamber work. William Steinway, who died in 1896, had added $1,500 around the time of his death, in order to make the prize immediately operative.
Trustees
Two of the fund's founding trustees were Henry Lee Higginson and William Payne Blake (1846–1922), a banker. Higginson died in 1919 and Blake died on March 7, 1922. In June 1922, Paderewski appointed successor trustees Arthur D. Hill (1869–1947) and Joseph Adamowski (1862–1930).[2] Adamowski was a Polish-born American cellist with the Boston Symphony and relative of Paderewski. He was also the father of Tadeusz Adamowski, 1928 Olympic Polish hockey player and Helenka Pantaleoni, silent film actress and founding director of UNICEF.
Approximately 80 manuscripts were submitted. A minor scandal transpired by the submission of a symphonic work titled "Palisades Overture", attributed to John Rice, Jr., of Hudson Heights, New Jersey. It was actually a manuscript copy of Berlioz's "Le Corsaire", the same work that Damrosch had conducted November 30, 1905. The incident was easily detected by the judges, reported to the trustees, who, in turn, delivered a letter to Rice, demanding an explanation.[4] Rice denied any involvement. The competition was unaffected by the incident, but gained wide attention in the news media.
1909:
Winners were announced from Boston by the Judges on January 12, 1910. Entry deadline was September 1, 1909.
Competition hiatus — New England Conservatory, in 1921, because serving as custodian of the competition, Mrs. Elizabeth C. Allen (born 1872), secretary of the Paderewski Fund; the competition, henceforth offered prizes in two categories: Symphonic and Chamber
1921:
The winner was announced by the New England Conservatory on July 29, 1922. Entries must have been received between December 20 and December 31, 1921.
Symphony:
No award given, for a lack of submissions meeting contest criteria.
The trio was Riegger's first published composition; he submitted it anonymously under the initials "D.M.I."
1928:
Winners were announced from Boston by the trustees — Arthur Dehon Hill (1869–1947) and Joseph Adamowski (1862–1930) — on December 24, 1928. Submission deadline was March 1, 1928.
Symphony:
Hans Levy Heniot (1900–1960), brother-in-law of Alexander Kipnis
Chamber:
Homer Corliss Humphrey (1880–1966); "Introduction and Allegro: Risoluto for Violin, Violoncello, and Piano"
Stojowski's work was the first published symphony for orchestra by a Pole. It was premiered in Leipzig under the direction of Arthur Nikisch, who also conducted its performance in Berlin.[8]
Selected commission recipients
Beginning in the 1950s, the Paderewski Fund for the Encouragement of American Composers was renamed Paderewski Fund for Composers and began awarding commissions to composers, in lieu of the competition.
^"Music And Musicians: Judges in the Paderewski Prize Competition Announce Their Reward", St. Albans Daily Messenger (Vermont), November 1, 1901, pg. 5
^"W. C. Riegger Wins Paderewski Prize", Times-Picayune, August 6, 1922
^Thursday, "Paderewski Prize Awards, Boston Herald, October 31, 1901, pg. 12
