Thank you for three great years…

With deep appreciation for the incredible artistry that the M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition has had the pleasure of celebrating over the last three years, the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD) has regrettably determined that financial support for the competition cannot be sustained. As a result, the M-Prize Competition has terminated and will not return in 2019.

“M-Prize was an exciting and important enterprise that helped raise the profile of the chamber arts in such a vital way,” said Dave Gier, dean of SMTD. “The competition not only gave chamber ensembles from around the world much-deserved attention and support, but it also highlighted SMTD’s ardent commitment to the genre, which will steadfastly continue. Unfortunately, it is not possible to maintain the financial structure needed to continue M-Prize while also supporting SMTD’s own growth in chamber music and its many other disciplines.”

“We are profoundly grateful to U-M Office of the Provost and an anonymous donor, both of whom made it possible for SMTD to run the competition for three inspirational years,” said Matt Albert, outgoing artistic director of M-Prize and chair of SMTD’s Department of Chamber Music. “We are also grateful for the vision illustrated and spearheaded by the faculty Steering Committee and former dean Aaron Dworkin. It has been a great honor to work with the committee, our extraordinary jurors, and SMTD’s administrative team in bringing M-Prize to life, and it has been a joy to witness, first hand, the spectacular talent that is making the future of chamber music so rich and so assured.”