The conductor will receive the Henry E. Howland Memorial Prize during a week-long residency at Yale in November, culminating in a concert with the Yale Philharmonia.
Yale University has announced that Gustavo Dudamel will receive the Henry E. Howland Memorial Prize, one of the university’s highest honours, during a week-long residency in November.
Established in 1915, the prize recognises individuals whose achievements in literature, the fine arts or government reflect idealistic principles and make a meaningful contribution to society. Previous recipients have included composer and conductor Aaron Copland, former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Dudamel will be in residence at Yale from 16 to 20 November, taking part in public events, conversations and activities with students and members of the New Haven community.
The residency will culminate on 19 November, when Yale President Maurie McInnis will present Dudamel with the Howland Prize. He will also conduct the Yale Philharmonia at Woolsey Hall, sharing conducting duties with Grete Pedersen, principal conductor of the Yale Schola Cantorum.
“Gustavo Dudamel’s career exemplifies how art can make us question our assumptions, see the world anew, and, ultimately, deepen our bonds with one another,” McInnis said.
She added that Dudamel had demonstrated for more than two decades “the power of music to connect people from seemingly disparate backgrounds”.
Yale highlighted both Dudamel’s international conducting career and his longstanding commitment to music education. The Venezuelan conductor emerged from El Sistema and has led the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. He is now Music and Artistic Director of the New York Philharmonic.
José García-León, Dean of the Yale School of Music, said Dudamel’s work through the Dudamel Foundation aligns closely with Yale’s own efforts to expand access to music education.
Further details of Dudamel’s Yale residency and its public events are expected to be announced in September.
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