Arlen Awards

NEWS

Arlen Awards

Harold Arlen and Schmutz

In recognition of Harold Arlen's 100th Birthday in 2005, Sam (Harold Arlen's son) and Joan Arlen have established three award programs at The ASCAP Foundation: The Harold Arlen Musical Theater Award, The Harold Arlen Film & TV Award and The Harold Arlen Music Education Award. Harold Arlen composed over 400 songs, including the music for the film The Wizard of Oz that bore the award-winning song "Over the Rainbow." These awards will be made annually to participants of The ASCAP Foundation Musical Theater Workshops and the ASCAP Film Scoring Workshop.

The inaugural ASCAP Foundation Harold Arlen Film & TV Award was presented to Greg Chun (pictured right) at the 16th Annual ASCAP Television and Film Scoring Workshop in Los Angeles. Greg, a native of Chicago and a Stanford University graduate, was chosen by a selection committee of industry professionals and ASCAP staff involved with the workshop based on his excellence and professionalism, musical ability and career potential.

Greg Chun

In addition, the inaugural ASCAP Foundation Harold Arlen Musical Theatre Award recipients were recently announced. The award recipients participated in The ASCAP Foundation Disney Musical Theatre Workshops which took place in Chicago and Los Angeles.

Chuck Larkin and Cheri Coons, recipients of the 2004 ASCAP Foundation Harold Arlen Musical Theater Award.

Chuck Larkin, composer and Cheri Coons, lyricist/librettist were selected from The ASCAP Foundation Disney Musical Theatre Workshop in Chicago. A staged reading of their work River's End was performed this summer at the Eugene O'Neill Music Theater Conference in Connecticut.

David Noroña, lrycist and Eric Whitacre, composer were selected from The ASCAP Foundation Disney Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles. Their original musical, Paradise Lost was performed at Northridge College in California this spring.

In addition to monetary awards, all recipients of The ASCAP Foundation Harold Arlen Awards will receive a complete set of The Harold Arlen Songbook courtesy of Sam Arlen and the Hal Leonard Corporation.

(l-r: ASCAP's Kevin Coogan with composer Eric Whitacre, ASCAP Foundation board member Stephen Schwartz, David Noroña, lyricist and ASCAP's Michael Kerker.)