Hellenic American Center of the Arts: 2026-05-31

All 2025 winner certificates and many runner-up packages have been sent. The office will complete those shortly and then turn to finalists and semi-finalists. Please be patient as each certificate is prepared individually,

and with care.

IF YOUR ADDRESS HAS CHANGED

recently, please send us the updated information by putting

"NEW ADDRESS" in the subject line of an email to theamericanprize@gmail.com

We need updated information to send certificate packages.

theamericanprize.org

NEW CALENDAR

NEW SCHEDULE

Announcing The American Prize, 2027

Our 17th Season

Dear Friends,

The American Prize has a new calendar and a new schedule.

For the 2027 season of The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts (TAP), we are adjusting the contest calendar to make it more efficient and less confusing.

Since COVID (and in some ways because of COVID), the schedule for the contests of The American Prize became extended over an entire academic year—that is: from one calendar year into the next. The office was announcing finalists for the current season while accepting applications for the next season, and sending certificates for the previous season. Whew! Although we’ve been able to keep most everything straight (well, most of time!) it has caused some confusion among our contestants and added considerably to our workload.

Time for a change.

ANNOUNCING!

The 2027 season of The American Prize will be accomplished within a single calendar year (hurray!)

Applications will be accepted from January 2027 through April 2027. Finalists will be announced in the summer 2027 and winners in the fall and early winter 2027, after which certificate packages will be sent. Applications for the following season will then be open again in

January 2028.

A schedule simpler, faster, more efficient…

...but aren’t we skipping a season? No!

Under the old schedule, we would be accepting applications now for 2026-27, with finalists and winners being announced in 2027. All we’ve done is shorten the application window, moving the entire process into the new calendar year…and don’t worry—performances and new works from the current academic year (2025-26) of course will be eligible in 2027.

There will be some other changes, too, which we will update on the website in the coming months, but for the moment, we have heard from so many performing artists and composers eager to apply now for next season that we needed to announce the change right away!

Questions? Theamericanprize@gmail.com

…and thank you so much!

—David Katz, founder and chief judge

The American Prize—since 2010

Remembering MTT

(Michael Tilson Thomas)

The great American conductor, Michael Tilson Thomas, has died, aged 81. A protege of the legendary Leonard Bernstein, Tilson Thomas was music director of the San Francisco Symphony for twenty-five years, and once conducted in Danbury, Connecticut, home of The American Prize.

On July 4, 1974, Tilson Thomas shared the podium with Bernstein at the Danbury Fair Grounds, conducting the American Symphony and local choirs in celebration of the centennial of Danbury’s favorite son, the quintessential American composer, Charles Ives (now namesake of The American Prize Charles Ives Award in Composition).

I sang in that chorus, with many of my fellow classmates, and can still feel the energy of the performance and the enthusiasm of the huge crowd. (see photo)

Fifty years later, The American Prize, which I founded in 2010 and serve as Chief Judge, honored Tilson Thomas for his piano music, in a premiere recording by pianist John Wilson.

Ives’ own words to one of the choral works we performed at the centennial concert are still particularly appropriate today, as we celebrate our country's 250th. They leaped into my memory when I heard the news of MTT’s passing:

“…then the people, not just politicians, will rule their own lands and lives, then you’ll hear the whole universe shouting the battle cry of Freedom…”

(Richard Nixon was in the midst of the Watergate scandal at the time and would resign as president the next month. The chorus, at MTT's urging, literally spat out the words "not just politicians" and the crowed roared back its approval. Quite a day—and for me an enduring musical memory.)

God’s speed, MTT, and thanks.

—David (Volosin) Katz

Looking for RECENT WINNERS of The American Prize?

WINNERS 2025:

* Complete results for the 2025 season of contests are posted. Find links in the December 2025 issue of "What's on TAP," our e-newsletter: https://conta.cc/4pNoGeH

WINNERS 2024:

* Complete results for the 2024 season of contests are posted. Find links in the December 2024 issue of "What's on TAP," our e-newsletter: https://conta.cc/3ZyBtWL

WINNERS 2023:

* Complete results for the 2023 season of contests are posted. Find links in the December 2023 issue of "What's on TAP," our e-newsletter: https://conta.cc/3Rum5Gz

WINNERS 2022:

* Winner announcements for all 2022 contests may be found here:

Visit: https://conta.cc/3TQPgTx, which takes you to an edition of 'What's on TAP," our e-newsletter, containing links to complete 2022 results.

WINNERS 2021 & 2020:

* See 2021 contest results here:

https://conta.cc/3b6kjqI

and for the 2020 season:

http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-american-prize-winning-links-all.html

Additional results may be found on our blog.

Read about our DISTINGUISHED JUDGES here:

https://www.theamericanprize.org/judges2014.html

and here:

https://www.theamericanprize.org/davidkatz.html

The American Prize

National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts

is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the musical and theater arts.

The American Prize is nonprofit, unique in scope and structure, and is designed to evaluate,

recognize and reward the best performers, composers, conductors, ensembles and directors

in the United States, based on submitted recordings.

There is no live competition. There are no age limits.

Founded in 2010 and now celebrating its sixteenth year, The American Prize has awarded

more than $180,000 in prizes in all categories since its creation. Thousands of artists

representing all fifty states have derived benefit from their participation in the contests of

The American Prize.

David Volosin Katz is founder and chief judge of The American Prize.

The American Prize is administered by Hat City Music Theater, Inc., a 501(c)3 registered nonprofit organization based in Danbury, CT.

www.theamericanprize.org