Princeton Singers artistic director Steven Sametz leads the group.
The Princeton Singers artistic director, Steven Sametz, is the recipient of the 10th Raymond and Beverly Sackler Music Composition prize.
University of Connecticut awarded Sametz $25,000 to compose a new work that will be performed and recorded. Sametz proposed a piece in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting of December 2012.
Sametz is working with schools to develop text for the piece drawn from children’s responses to tragedy and loss. The piece tentatively titled ‘A Child’s Requiem’
Dean of UConn School of Fine Arts Brid Grant said the award is one of the largest given for the composition of new musical works. Once composed, Grant notes, the new works funded by the prize are performed by UConn students
Sametz says in addition to the UConn premiere of his new composition, he also plans to reprise the work at Lehigh University, where he serves as the Ronald J. Ulrich Professor of Music and director of Choral Arts. He also plans to develop an exhibition of artwork from young children expressive of their thoughts on loss that will be displayed at the time of the performances.
Sametz is scheduled to conduct The Princeton Singers in their annual holiday performance of A Child’s Christmas in Wales 6 and 8 p.m. Dec. 13.
More information is online at princetonsingers.org.
