The Tell School of Music's wind ensemble recently came in third place for a 2024 American Prize in Music, a first for Millersville University. Dr. Joe Cernuto, assistant professor of music and director of bands at Millersville, directs the ensemble that placed in the Ernst Bacon Award for the Performance of American Music with their group performances of Sally Lamb McCune's "Caveat" and Rubén Darío Gómez's "Tríptico para Flauta y Banda." The ensemble was joined by professor Morgann Davis, coordinator of flute studies, as the featured soloist. The competition is open to all countries and is reviewed by an international panel of judges.

Named after American composer Ernst Bacon, this national honor is bestowed upon ensembles and soloists from across the globe with the performances of American music and includes a cash prize and certificate. Bacon, Cernuto explains, was a pivotal American composer. "Ernst Bacon was a teacher and administrator of music schools in the United States - most notably at Syracuse University. He composed numerous art songs on the text of master American poets like Carl Sandberg, Emily Dickinson, and Walt Whitman," he says noting that much of his compositional work was created between 1920 and 1940. "While you might not know his works by ear, his influence was passed down to hundreds of students throughout the 20th century."

Cernuto says choosing the submissions took careful consideration. "Performing new music is an important part of my philosophical approach to the wind ensemble, so choosing two selections was difficult," he explains. "Ultimately, I wanted to choose a repertoire that was made by relatively lesser-known composers, from outside of the traditional white/European/male norms of wind ensemble composers - and were amazing pieces of music."

The recognition is a huge honor for Cernuto and his students. "It means a great deal to me to even place in this award. The artifacts that the internationally renowned judging panel reviewed were recordings of two different semesters of my students. Ultimately, if they didn't perform as well as they did, there would be no award - even if my research and curation of the music was outstanding. That combination of my efforts and student effort makes this honor doubly meaningful to me."

The wind ensemble will perform two concerts this spring at the Winter Visual and Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 28 at 7:30 pm, and on Sunday, April 27 at 2:30 pm, both at the Winter Visual and Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available at the door or at artsmu.com/upcoming-events/tell-school-of-music/.