Photo by Mark Melnyk.

ACF President John Nuechterlein and ACF Board member Vivian Fung presented the 2017 Champion of New Music Award to Charles Amirkhanian, Executive and Artistic Director of the Other Minds Festival in San Francisco. The occasion was a concert on May 20, 2017 featuring the music of Lou Harrison to mark the centennial of his birth on May 14, 1917.

“Charles’ unwavering commitment to the Other Minds Festival for over twenty years has been extraordinary – and the ACF board believed it deserved special recognition”, John told the audience of some 800 people at the historic Mission Dolores Basilica. “He is a composer, performer, curator and staunch advocate for the work of living composers. We are honored to recognize that commitment in front of you, his many loyal fans and supporters on this important occasion.”

The award is one of three given this year by the ACF Board of Directors (press release HERE). A second award will be given to Donald Nally and The Crossing at the final concert of their Month of Moderns series in Philadelphia on July 1, 2017. The third award will be presented to the International Alliance of Women in Music at a concert at the University of Kansas on October 28, 2017.