‘Transformative’ American Prize-winning group has been sitting right under your nose

Cincinnati Enquirer | 10.01.22

The American Prize is a deliciously quirky arts competition. It isn’t one of the best-known, by any means. It casts an enormously broad net, honoring everything from theater companies to choruses, from arts administrators to orchestras.

But because of that breadth, the 12-year-old awards tend to be filled with groups you’ve never heard of but really ought to know about. It also includes award categories that other competitions ignore.

So when the American Prize announced on Tuesday that Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and its music director Eckart Preu had won the 2022 prize for Orchestral Programming, there was something very sweet about the recognition.