The Musicians Club of New York actively promotes worldwide orchestral performances of contemporary composers. In 1979, the Koussevitzky Foundation chose the Musicians Club of New York to administer the American International Music Fund, Inc., which was funded by Serge Koussevitzky. This fund was established to give recognition to Composers during their lifetime and to encourage the performance and appreciation of contemporary music. KIRA, the annual Serge & Olga Koussevitzky International Recording Award, is given to a living Composer for a recorded symphonic work, scored for not less than sixteen musicians. In addition to the Koussevitzky Foundation, Serge Koussevitzky's wife Olga, who served as President of the Musicians Club from 1962 to 1975, also willed the Club money, which was received upon the death of her niece, in 1991.
From 1963 to 1978, the prize was known as the Koussevitzky International Recording Award, but following the death of Olga in 1978, the award was officially renamed the Serge and Olga Koussevitzky International Recording Award. For many years, especially during its co-sponsorship periods with Musical America, it has come to be known simply as the KIRA. The Musicians Club of New York carries on the award in both Serge and Olga Koussevitzky's honor, as part of the Club's program in support of contemporary musicians.
LIST OF KIRA WINNERS BY YEAR
2007 Roberto Sierra for
Sinfonia No. 3 “La Salsa”
Frost Symphony Orchestra, Thomas M. Sleeper, conductor; (Albany TROY942)
2006 -William Thomas McKinley for
Concert Variations for Violin, Viola and Orchestra
Glenn Dicterow, violin;
Karen Dreyfus, viola;
Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra (MMCR 212)
2004 - Stephen Jaffe for
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
Gregory Fulkerson, violin;
Donald Palma, conductor;
Odense Symphony Orchestra (Bridge 9141)
1993 - Sofia Gubaidulina for
Stimmen...verstummen...
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (Chandos 9183)
1990 - Luc Ferrari for
Histoire du plaisir et de la désolation
Orchestra National de France, Michael Luig. (Adda 581156)
1989 - Sofia Gubaidulina for Offertorium;
Gidon Kremer, violin; Boston Symphony, Charles Dutoit, conductor (Deutsche Grammophon 427 336-2)
1988 Magnus Lindberg for
Kraft
Toimii Ensemble; Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (Finlandia FACD 372)
1988 Special Citations:
Barbara Kolb for Soundings;
Ensemble Intercontemporai, Tamayo (CRI 537)
Olivier Messiaen for
Saint François D'Assise
Van Dam, Eda-Pierre; Paris Opera, Ozawa, conductor (cybelia CY 833-836)
Sir Michael Tippett for
The Mask of Time
Robinson, Walker, Tear, Cheek; BBC Symphony and Chorus, A. Davis, conductor (EMI CDCB 47705)
1987 (1) George Benjamin for
Mind of Winter
Paul Archibald, Penelope Walmsley-Clark; London Sinfonietta, George Benjamin, conductor (Nimbus 5075)
1987 (2) Cristobal Halffter for
Concerto No. 2 for Cello and Orchestra
Mstislav Rostropovich; Orchestre National de France, Halffter (Erato ECD 75320)
1986 (1) Mark Kopytman for
Memory
Gila Bashari; Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Gary Bertini (Jerusalem ATD 8506, Harmonia Mundi, US)
1986 (2) Witold Lutoslawski for
Symphony No. 3
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen (CBS Masterworks IM 42203 (d))
1985 Hugues Dufourt for
Antiphysis
Istvan Matuz; Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez, conductor (Erato STU 71544 (A))
1984 (1) Pierre Boulez for
Eclat/Multiples
Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez, conductor (CBS M 37850)
1984 (2) Theo Loevendie for
Flexio
Residentie Orchestra, Peter Eötvös (Donemus Composers' Voice 8301)
1983 Philippe Boesmans for
Violin Concerto;
Richard Pieta; Liège Philharmonic, Pierre Bartholomée (Ricercar RIC 014)
1982 Cornel Taranu for
Ghirlande
Cluj Ars Nova Group, Cornel Taranu (Electrecord ECE 01806)
1981 Harrison Birtwistle for
Punch and Judy
Stephen Roberts and David Wilson-Johnson; London Sinfonietta, David Atherton (Decca Headline HEAD 24/5 (2))
1980 (1) Lucia Dlugoszewski for
Fire Fragile Flight
Orchestra of Our Time, Joel Thomer (Candide CE 31113)
1980 (2) Aribert Reimann for
Lear
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Baritone; Barvarian State Opera; Gerd Albrecht, conductor (Deutsche Grammophon 2709 089 (3))
1979 Brian Ferneyhough for
Transit
London Sinfonietta; Elgar Howarth(Decca Headline HEAD 18)
1978 Jesús Villa-Rojo for
Formas y fases
Antoni Ros-Marba, conductor (Discos Movieplay 17.1304/0)
1977 Luciano Berio for
Concerto for Two Pianos
Bruno Canino and Antonio Ballista; London Symphony Orchestra, Berio (RCA Red Seal ARL 1-1674)
1976 Henri Dutilleux for
Tout un monde lointain
Mstislav Rostropovich; Orchestre de Paris; Serge Baudo (EMI S 37146)
1976 Special Citation:
Philippe Boesmans for
Intervalles II sur mi
Orchestre Symphonique de Liège (Musica Magna MAG 50 010)
1975 No competition.
1974 Roque Cordero for
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
Sanford Allen; Detroit Symphony, Paul Freeman. (Columbia M 32784)
1974 Special Citation:
John McCabe for
Notturni Ed Alba and
Symphony No. 2
Jill Gomez, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Louis Fremaux (EMI ASD 2904)
1973 Award withheld by the jury.
1972 Seymour Shifrin for
Three Pieces for Orchestra
London Sinfonietta; Jacques Monod (CRI #SD 275)
1972 Special Citation:
Milton Babbitt for
Vision and Prayer and
Mario Davidovsky for
Synchronisms No. 5 (CRI #SD 268)
Charles Wuorinen for
Chamber Concerto
Group for Contemporary Music, Wuorinen (Nonesuch H-71263)
1971 George Crumb for
Ancient Voices of Children
Contemporary Chamber Ensemble; Arthur Weisberg. (Nonesuch H-71255)
1971 Special Citations:
Michael Brozen for
In Memorium
Royal Philharmonic; James Dixon(CRI)
Durke Zsolt for
Fioriture for Orchestra
Orchestra of Hungarian Radio and TV; Gyorgy Lehel (Hungaraton)
1970 Seymour Shifrin for
Satires of Circumstance and
Stefan Wolfe for
Chamber Piece No. 1
Contemporary Chamber Ensemble; Arthur Weisberg (Nonesuch H 71220)
1970 Special Citations:
Jacob Druckman for Incenters,
Frederick Myrow for Songs from the Japanese and
Roger Reynolds for Quick Are the Mouths of Earth
Contemporary Chamber Ensemble; Arthur Weisberg (Nonesuch)
Chou Wen-Chung for Pien
Group for Contemporary Music; Harvey Sollberger (CRI)
Charles Wuorinen for
Piano Concerto
Royal Philharmonic; James Dixon(CRI)
1969 Roberto Gerhard for
Concerto for Orchestra
BBC Symphony; Norman Del Mar (Argo R6553)
1969 Special Citations:
Henry Lazarof for
Structures Sonores
Utah Symphony; Maurice Abravenel (Vanguard MCS-10047)
Gunther Schuller for
Five Bagatelles
Louisville Orchestra, Jorge Mester(LS-686)
Boris Tishchenko for
Concerto for Cello
Mstislav Rostropovich, cello; Leningrad Philharmonic; Igor Blazhkov (Melodiya/Angel SR 40091)
1968 Carlos Chávez for
Six Symphonies
Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Mexico; Chávez (Columbia 32-31-002)
1968 Special Citations:
Harrison Bertwistle for
Tragoedia
Melos Ensemble; Lawrence Foster (His Master's Voice - RCA)
Marius Constant for
Twenty-Four Preludes for Orchestra
Orchestre Philoharmonique de L'O.R.T.F; Charles Bruck (Heliodor)
Hilding Rosenberg for
The Revelation of St. John
Sveriges Radio Symphonior-kester; Herbert Blomstadt (His Master's Voice - RCA)
Michael Tippett for
Symphony No. 2
London Symphony Orchestra; Colin Davis (Argo)
1967 Olivier Messiaen for
Trois Petites Liturgies de la Présence Devine
Yvonne & Jeanne Loriod; Les Choeurs de la Mâitrise; Chamber Orchestra of French Radio; Marcel Couraud (Erato)
1967 Special Citations:
Tiberiu Olah for
Coloana fara de sfîrsit
Symphony Orchestra of Roumanian Radio; Iosif Contal (Electrecord)
Harvey Sollberger for
Chamber Variations
Group for Contemporary Music at Columbia U.; Gunther Schuller (CRI 204, SD 204)
1966 Peter Maxwell Davies for
Leopardi Fragments
as part of the Gulbenkian Foundation's "Music Today" series (EMI ASD 640)
1966 Special Citations:
Pierre Boulez for
Le soleil des eaux,
Roberto Gerhard for
Symphony No. 1,
Elizabeth Lutyens for
O saisons, o chateaux
- additional parts of the Gulbenkian Foundation's "Music Today" series (EMI ASD 640)
Carl Ruggles for Sun Treader
in cooperation with the Naumburg Foundation (Columbia Records MS 6801)
1965 Ingvar Lidholm for
Poesis per Orchestra
Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra; Herbert Blomstedt (Swedish Discofil Society LT 33160, SLT 33160)
1964 Witold Lutoslawski for
Trois Poèmes d'Henri Michaux pour choeur et orchestre
Polski Nagrania in connection with Festival of Contemporary Music (Muza W871/2)
1963 Edgard Varèse for
Arcana
Columbia Symphony Orchestra; Robert Craft (CBS)
