Jazz Saxophonist Adam Claussen Wins 2017 William Goldstein Scholarship
Adam Claussen, 2017 William Goldstein Scholarship winner
The BMI Foundation has announced that University of Miami composer and musician Adam Claussen is the winner of the 2017 William Goldstein Scholarship, a $5,000 award for young jazz artists.
The William Goldstein Scholarship was established in 2010 and is awarded biennially to a young composer studying at a U.S. music school, and recognizes outstanding achievement in jazz composition. The award salutes pioneering BMI composer, pianist, and educator William Goldstein. Goldstein has recorded for Motown and CBS Masterworks and is credited with over 40 albums and 50 scores for film and television, including Fame and The Miracle Worker. His writing has been featured in The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times.
"I am surprised and truly honored to be selected for this scholarship,” said Claussen. “I see this opportunity as a commission to pursue composition as a career and to continue writing for the rest of my life. I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to the BMI Foundation and the University of Miami jazz faculty for choosing me for this scholarship. I also want to thank Stephen Guerra, Michael Annicchiarico and Gary Lindsay for guiding me over the years as a composer. I wouldn't be where I am today without them.”
Claussen is a saxophonist at University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he is majoring in Studio Music & Jazz. Through the Frost School and other connections, he has had the opportunity to share the stage with the likes of Quincy Jones, John Williams, Arturo Sandoval and Kristin Chenoweth to name a few. Claussen was most recently named the recipient of a 2017 Student Downbeat Award for his original composition “All Bets Are Off”, which can be heard below:
About the BMI Foundation
The BMI Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to encourage the creation, performance, and study of American music. The Foundation’s programs include competitive scholarships for songwriters and composers, operating grants for nonprofit arts presenters, and support for innovative music education initiatives in schools and communities across the country. For more information about the work of the Foundation, please visit our website at www.bmifoundation.org. For exclusive news and content, follow @bmifoundation on Twitter and Instagram, and like “BMI Foundation” on Facebook at facebook.com/bmifoundation.