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David Robertson of the Saint Louis Symphony
Orchestra wins 2006 Ditson Conductor’s Award

NEW YORK, March 15—David Robertson, music director of the 126-year-old Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, has won Columbia University's 2006 Ditson Conductor's Award for his exceptional commitment to the performance of works by American composers. Robertson, who also holds the title of Principal Guest Conductor of London’s BBC Symphony Orchestra, will receive a citation from Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger and a check for $5,000 at a concert of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra on March 25. Robert Ward, composer and chairman of the Alice M. Ditson Fund Advisory Committee at Columbia University, will present the award in Saint Louis.

 The Ditson Conductor's Award, the oldest award honoring conductors for their commitment to American music, was established in 1945 by the Alice M.Ditson Fund at Columbia University. Past recipients include Leonard Bernstein, Eugene Ormandy, JoAnn Falletta, Michael Tilson Thomas and James DePreist. In 1940, the Alice M. Ditson Fund was established to award grants for fellowships, public hearings, and publication of the work of talented musicians it deemed worthy of assistance.

A recognized expert in 20th and 21st century music with extensive international conducting credits, Robertson is considered among the most important conductors of our time. Prior to his Saint Louis Symphony appointment in 2005, he was Music Director of the Orchestre National de Lyon and Artistic Director of Lyon’s Auditorium from 2000-2004. From 1992-2000, he was Music Director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris, and from 1985-1987, he was resident conductor of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his current duties in Saint Louis and with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Robertson continues to guest conduct both nationally and abroad.

Robertson has championed young musicians throughout his career. In addition to creating and leading many outreach programs with the Ensemble Intercontemporain and the Orchestre National de Lyon, he has worked with students at the Paris Conservatory, the Julliard School, Tanglewood, the National Orchestral Institute in Maryland and the Aspen Music Festival.
Born in Santa Monica, California, Mr. Robertson was educated at London’s Royal Academy of Music, where he studied French horn and composition before turning to orchestral conducting. Musical America named him Conductor of the Year for 2000. In 1997, Mr. Robertson was named a recipient of the Seaver/National Endowment for the Arts Conductors Award, the premier prize of its kind, given to exceptionally gifted American conductors. He has two teenaged sons and is married to pianist Orli Shaham.