Hodgson Wind Symphony named finalist for The American Prize

The Hodgson Wind Symphony (HWS) is in the running to earn another national accolade for the Hugh Hodgson School of Music.

The American Prize recently announced the ensemble as one of four finalists for it’s 2015 Band/Wind Ensemble award for colleges and universities.

Nominated with the wind symphony are ensembles from Illinois State University, The College of New Jersey and Baylor University.

“The competition this year is pretty stiff; we are finalists with Baylor Wind Ensemble, which many argue is one of the best collegiate ensembles in the country,” said Dr. Jaclyn Hartenberger, HWS director. “I am simply proud to be in stride with such a fantastic group.”

All that’s left now for the ensemble is waiting—the judges for The American Prize are gradually rolling out their winning selections for various categories and will soon announce the winners in HWS’s division on their web site.

The American Prize, founded in 2009, is a series of new, non-profit national competitions in the performing arts providing cash awards, professional adjudication and regional, national and international recognition for the best recorded performances by ensembles and individuals at a variety of levels.

The School of Music is no stranger to The American Prize. The Hodgson Wind Ensemble received second place honors for the band/wind ensemble award in 2014, and on Nov. 11, doctoral composition student Cody Brookshire received an honorable mention in the student division of the Composition–Chamber Music category for his piece, “PRISM.”

For more information on the opportunities available at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, visit music.uga.edu.