Meredith Monk Receives 2017 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize at BAM

On Thursday, October 26, Meredith Monk, trailblazing composer, singer and interdisciplinary artist, was awarded the 24th annual Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize at a packed ceremony at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music (BAM).

The private event included a special performance featuring Meredith Monk joined by members of Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble, including Theo Bleckmann, Katie Geissinger, Allison Sniffin, Ellen Fisher, and Jo Stewart. Remarks were delivered by Adam Clark on behalf of the Prize administrator JP Morgan Chase Bank; Kristy Edmunds, Executive and Artistic Director of the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA; Amir ElSaffar, trumpeter, santur player, vocalist and composer; Joseph V. Melillo, Executive Producer at BAM; and Janet L. Sarbaugh, Vice President-Creativity and Senior Program Director for the Arts & Culture Program for the Heinz Endowments.

Other notable attendees included Mario Garcia Durham, President and CEO of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP); Dr. Cristle Collins Judd, President, Sarah Lawrence College; Kim Cullen, Executive Director & CEO, New York Live Arts, among others.

Established in 1994 through the will of Lillian Gish, the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize is given annually to an individual who has "made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind's enjoyment and understanding of life." Past recipients are Elizabeth LeCompte, Suzan-Lori Parks, Maya Lin, Spike Lee, Anna Deavere Smith, Trisha Brown, Chinua Achebe, Pete Seegar, Robert Redford, Laurie Anderson, Shirin Neshat, Peter Sellars, Ornette Coleman, Bill T. Jones, Lloyd Richards, Jennifer Tipton, Merce Cunningham, Arthur Miller, Isabel Allende, Bob Dylan, Robert Wilson, Ingmar Bergman, and Frank Gehry. Prize recipients are nominated by the arts community and chosen by a distinguished committee of arts leaders for their groundbreaking work in their chosen fields. For further information, visit www.gishprize.com.

Pictured: Meredith Monk performs at the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize ceremony at BAM. Photo by Julieta Cervantes.