February 25, 2004

News, Classical

BMI Composers Elected to American Academy of Arts and Letters

Congratulations to BMI composers Robert Beaser and Bernard Rands who have been elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The honor of election is considered to be the highest formal recognition of artistic merit in the US. The Academy was founded in 1898 to "foster, assist, and sustain an interest in literature, music and the fine arts."

Robert Beaser

Bernard Rands

An annual election is held to fill vacancies in the Academy's membership of 250 American artists, architects, writers and composers. Nominations are first voted on by discipline (art, literature, music). The names of those candidates receiving the highest number of votes are then submitted to the entire membership.

Other BMI classical composers who are Academy members include John Adams, Milton Babbitt, Leslie Bassett, William Bolcom, Elliott Carter, Chou Wen-chung, George Crumb, Mario Davidovsky, Norman Dello Joio, Lukas Foss, John Harbison, Karel Husa, Andrew W. Imbrie, Leon Kirchner, Donald Martino, Steve Reich, Christopher Rouse, Gunther Schuller, Joseph Schwantner, Francis Thorne, Joan Tower, Robert Ward, Charles Wuorinen, Yehudi Wyner and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.

In this story: John Adams

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