Jacobs professor to receive prestigious award in October

The Indiana Arts Commission formally announced Wednesday that Menahem Pressler, pianist and distinguished professor of music in the Jacobs School of Music, will be one of six recipients of the coveted Governor’s Arts Award. The Governor’s Arts Awards are held every two years and honor those who raise public awareness of the arts in Indiana, from individuals to large corporations. The ceremony will be held Oct. 25 in IU’s own Musical Arts Center – the first time the ceremony has been held outside Indianapolis since its inception in 1973. \nPressler, 83, began teaching at IU in 1955 and is a world-renowned chamber musican, performer and teacher, according to the Commission’s press release. He is a four-time Grammy nominee and has taught master classes around the world and performed with multiple orchestras. He’s also the founding member of a Beaux Arts Trio.\n“(I’m) elated because nothing that you get anywhere in the world means as much as when you get it at home,” Pressler said. “Indiana has been my home for the last 53, 54 years.”\nSome past winners have included IU’s own Herman B Wells, the late author Kurt Vonnegut and musicians Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael, according to the Commission’s Web site. \nOther 2007 recipients include Henry Leck and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, Fischoff National Chamber Music Association, Lori Efroymson Aguilera of Indianapolis, Jamey Aebersold of New Albany, Ind., and the City of Jasper, Ind.\nThe Indiana Arts Commission’s goals are to increase access, awareness, education and support for the arts. The Governor’s Arts Awards are the highest honor the state gives for recognizing the arts and their important role in Indiana’s well-being, according to the Commission’s Web site.\n“Pressler is one of the most celebrated pianists in the world,” said Alain Barker, director of marketing and publicity for Jacobs School of Music. “(We’re) just thrilled that he is being celebrated by the Indiana Arts Commission and being recognized for his work both as an educator and a performer.”