Announcing Our 2011 Margaret Stewart Lindsay Award Recipients!

We are pleased to announce the recipients of our 2011 Margaret Stewart Lindsay (MSL) Arts Leadership Awards –  Dan Felix, 17, from Kingston, MA and Muhan Zhang, a junior at Boston College who appeared on From the Top Show #221 in Boston, MA.

The MSL program, currently in its second year, encourages high school and collegiate musicians from the Boston area to make a difference in their communities through music. Award recipients were invited to apply for funding for an existing or proposed music-based community project in the greater Boston area and share a grant pool of $2000.

Dan Felix is raising money for the Kingston Intermediate School’s (KIS) after-school music program, Joy of Music, and spreading awareness about the school’s decision to exclude band from the school-day curriculum due to budget cuts. The award will allow Dan to continue producing and selling CDs of his original songs to offset the cost of student participation in the Joy of Music program. Click here to check out one of the tracks from his album!

Muhan Zhang wants to share the tradition of Chinese instrumental music with a greater audience. He is building a video archive of performances and instrument demonstrations by members of the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association (GBCCA) Chinese Music Ensemble, with hopes of creating viewing opportunities for online streaming and DVDs. The award will support the creation and dissemination of this media to new audiences. Click here to learn more about the GBCCA Chinese Music Ensemble and its upcoming performances.

Stay tuned for  individual spotlights on these two arts leaders and their inspiring projects in the coming weeks!