Jennifer Higdon Awarded the $100,000 Nemmers Prize in Music Composition

Jennifer Higdon, who holds the Rock Chair in Composition at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, is the winner of the 2018 Michael Ludwig Nemmers Prize in Music Composition from the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Established in 2003, the biennial Nemmers Prize honors classical music composers of outstanding achievement who have significantly influenced the field of composition. The prize includes a $100,000 award. In addition, Professor Higdon will participate in two on-campus residency programs at Northwestern.

Professor Higdon taught herself to play flute at the age of 15. Her compositions have been played by many of the world’s great orchestras. In 2010, Professor Higdon won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for “Violin Concerto.” She is a two-time Grammy Award winner.

Dr. Higdon is a graduate of Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.