Composer and pianist Courtney Bryan, who earned a master’s degree in music from Mason Gross School of the Arts, was named today as member of the 2023 Class of MacArthur Fellows.
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has administered the prestigious awards, also known as “genius grants,” annually since 1981, to 20–30 individuals in fields such as physics, public health, visual arts, and American history. Fellows each receive a five-year, $800,000 grant. Recipients cannot apply for MacArthur Fellowships; they must be nominated.
Bryan, whose socially conscious work is steeped in jazz, classical, and sacred music, studied jazz piano performance at Mason Gross. She is one of 20 new fellows recognized by the foundation.
“I take this MacArthur award as an affirmation of my own unique path that I’ve been pursuing for many years and an encouragement to keep dreaming bigger,” said Bryan, 41, who studied at Rutgers primarily with late jazz pianist and composer Stanley Cowell, as well as with Conrad Herwig, current head of jazz studies. “I will be thinking a lot during this time about ways to expand my creative process as a composer and pianist, and as an educator and curator.” Bryan serves as the Albert and Linda Mintz Professor of Music at Tulane University in New Orleans. Last year, Opera Philadelphia named her their Composer in Residence.
Read more at Rutgers Today.
Top image: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation