SALT LAKE CITY — Madeleine Arts and Humanities Council Chairman Mike Stransky has announced that Gregory A. Glenn has been selected to receive the 2008 Madeleine Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts and Humanities. This award is presented annually as part of the Madeleine Festival of the Arts and Humanities to individuals who have made comprehensive and long-term contributions to the arts and humanities in Utah. The Madeleine Award was first presented in 1989, and Gregory A. Glenn will be added to an impressive list of past awardees who have contributed so much to our State’s vibrant arts and humanities programs – many of whom now serve on the selection committee for this award. Founding Director of Salt Lake City’s prestigious Madeleine Choir School, Gregory Glenn’s love of music and vast musical knowledge have had a substantial impact on the lives of many since he arrived in Utah in 1988. An accomplished organist, teacher, and theologian, Glenn has served as Director of Music and Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Madeleine since 1990, where he oversees a broad range of musical programs in addition to those connected to religious services. The breadth of his musical repertoire is impressive (his favorite genre is Spanish Renaissance polyphony) – he is quite fond of Palestrina but isn’t afraid to take on Stravinsky, Britten, or even 21st century composers. Glenn is adept at combining choral and instrumental forces and has beautifully executed some of the more monumental choral works of Handel, Mozart, and Beethoven. Former Utah Symphony Associate Conductor and Madeleine Council member Ardean Watts has referred to Glenn’s musical approach as "fearless" and his selection of works to perform as both "bold and demanding." Under his leadership, choristers from the Madeleine Choir School have sung with professional arts organizations such as Utah Opera, Ballet West, Utah Symphony, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and have also given acclaimed biennial European performance tours throughout Italy, France, Belgium, Germany, and Austria. Their next European tour will be various cities in Spain in late 2008. Under Glenn’s direction, the cathedral choir and choristers of the Madeleine Choir School have collectively produced five compact discs of sacred music. A number of Madeleine Choir School alumni have gone on to prestigious institutions such as New York’s Juilliard School of Music and are pursuing careers in music. Mormon Tabernacle Choir Director Craig Jessop – a speaker at the upcoming award dinner honoring Glenn—was quoted as saying that "Greg was a perfect fit" for this prestigious award. His visionary insight and tireless efforts over the years in support of the arts and humanities in Utah make Glenn an ideal choice for this year’s Madeleine Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts and Humanities. Gregory Glenn will be presented the 2008 Madeleine Award at a dinner in his honor to be held on Sunday evening, May 25 at The New Yorker in Salt Lake City. Additional information concerning award dinner reservations is available by calling the Cathedral of the Madeleine office at 328-8941.
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