Rebecca Nederhiser, conductor of the Wartburg Community Symphony, has received third place in the American Prize — Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming.

Nederhiser submitted the symphony’s February 2023 performance, “Music Takes Flight,” for consideration. The concert featured the world premiere of Jocelyn Hagen’s “Messages from Everywhere,” a groundbreaking work combining the orchestra, a choir, AI imagery, poetry and cutting-edge computer technology. The piece was commissioned to celebrate the symphony’s 70^th season. Other birdsong and nature-themed pieces included Haydn’s Symphony no. 83, “The Hen”; Ralph Vaughan William’s “The Lark Ascending”; and Ottorino Respighi’s “The Birds.”

“This award is a reflection of all the collaborators, performers and symphony supporters that made our ‘Music Takes Flight’ concert possible. It also speaks to the innovative work the WCS is doing and the exciting future that is ahead of us,” Nederhiser said.

Unlike traditional concert and art or video combos, the symphony did not use a click track to sync the work but partnered with Scott Winters of Ion Concert Music to utilize a syncing software that provided a more immersive multimedia performance.

“Rebecca has earned this recognition. Over the last three years, as the conductor and artistic director of the Wartburg Community Symphony, the Cedar Valley has watched her take the orchestra to new heights and engage her audiences with inspiring and innovative programming,” said Joanne Jones, co-president of the Wartburg Community Symphony Association. “This award is a testament to her passion for collaboration and extraordinary leadership. The community is excited to see what the next season has to offer.”

A video of the performance is available at http://qr.wartburg.edu/symph24.

The American Prize — Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming honors the memory of the Lithuanian conductor and director of the Lithuanian State Opera. The award recognizes the best achievement in the unique field of orchestral programming, where the selection of repertoire by knowledgeable, creative and courageous music directors builds orchestras and audiences, educates young people and adults, and enriches the community.