On September 28th, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation bestowed its "Genius Award" upon twenty three exceptional individuals. Formally known as the MacArthur Fellowship Awards, the program acknowledges individuals who have made significant cultural, social, and scientific contributions. Adding more than a dash of mystery to the selection process, the awardees are chosen in secret and have no knowledge of their nomination until the awards are announced. Two of this year's awards went to gifted musicians who have successfully advanced their art, though in very distinct ways.
Pianist and composer Jason Moran takes a progressive yet inclusive approach to music. Drawing on many disparate genres such as jazz, classical, funk and hip-hop, Moran applies a virtuosic technical skill while creating groundbreaking new works that defy simple categorization. He often incorporates innovative elements like found audio and speech patterns into his work, and he has collaborated with visual and performing artists to create works that span across art forms. Although he is primarily associated with the jazz world, Moran has collaborated with many classical and avant-garde musicians such as the Imami Wind Ensemble, Don Byron, and his wife Alicia Hall Moran.
Sebastian Ruth musical commitment goes far beyond the refinement of his skill as the violist for the Providence String Quartet; he is also the founder Community MusicWorks, an organization that is dramatically improving the lives of urban youth in Providence, Rhode Island. Through Community MusicWorks, Ruth brings young professional musicians to teach youths in an area of economic and social stress. The quartet's members live and work in the very community they serve, and provide each student in the program with an instrument on long-term loan.
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by Daniel Eno
