MacArthur Fellows Award Ceremony 2011

MacArthur Fellows Award Ceremony 2011YU Steinhardt's Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions honored two MacArthur "Genius" Fellows: Music Education Alumnus and faculty Francisco J. Núñez and current Jazz Studies Professor Dafnis Prieto on February 6 at the Frederick Loewe Theatre. Both were interviewed by John Schaefer from WNYC. Núñez conducted the NYC Young People's Chorus and Prieto performed an improvised drum solo. The MacArthur Fellows receive $500000 grants payed out over five years and with no restrictions to give them the freedom to continue their scholarly or artistic work. About Dafnis Prieto (pictured top left, photo by Henry Lopez) From Cuba, his arrival in the US has been compared by to that of an asteroid hitting New York. Indeed, within a short period of time Dafnis Prieto's revolutionary drumming techniques had a powerful impact on the Latin and Jazz music scene, locally and internationally. Various awards include "2011 MacArthur Fellowship Award", "Up & Coming Musician of the Year" by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2006, a Grammy Award Nomination for "Absolute Quintet" as Best Latin Jazz Album, and a Latin Grammy Nomination for "Best New Artist" in 2007. Also a gifted educator, Prieto has conducted numerous master classes, clinics, and workshops. Since 2005, he has been a member of the NYU Music Faculty. A resident of New York since only 1999, he has already played in bands led by Henry Threadgill, Steve Coleman, Eddie Palmieri, Chico and Arturo O'Farrill, Dave Samuels ... Video News MacArthur Fellows Award Ceremony 2011 Published: 09/04/2012 4:41 pm