At the end of last September, I announced the launch of The Stephen and Cynthia Rubin Institute for Music Criticism, whose inaugural sessions will take place next month (January 18–22) on the Oberlin College campus in Oberlin, Ohio. This will be a week-long series of events to bring together before the public national music journalists, renowned musicians, and aspiring young writers, combining the wisdom and insight of today’s highly esteemed critics, the artistry and daring of acclaimed musicians, and the energy and promise of tomorrow’s music journalists. During this period a hand-selected group of young writers will review four concerts and have their work critiqued by Alex Ross, music critic for The New Yorker, Tim Page, Professor of Journalism and Music at the University of Southern California and former music critic at the Washington Post, Anne Midgette, current music critic at the Washington Post and former New York Times critic, and Heidi Waleson, music critic for The Wall Street Journal. These reviews will also be posted for the general public to read at the Institute’s Web site. At the conclusion of the week, one of these writers will be awarded the $10,000 Rubin Prize in Music Criticism.
This morning David H. Stull, Dean of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, announced a second award of $1000. This will be given for the best review by an audience member of one of the first three concert performances. These will be a full program by The Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, a piano recital by Jeremy Denk, and an early music survey by the Apollo’s Fire Baroque Orchestra. Members of the public who attend one or more of these events are invited to submit a 500-word review of each performance they attend by 9:00 AM the following day. Reviews will be submitted via email to rubin.institute@oberlin.edu, and only one review per person per concert may be submitted.
Guidelines for reviewers state that the review should be written from the perspective of an informed listener but with a general audience in mind. Opinions should be supported with examples while avoiding technical musical terms. Reviews will be judged on critical acumen, fluency of writing, and clarity of thought. A panel of three professional critics will select six reviews from those submitted for each concert. These reviews will be published on the Institute’s website before the next evening’s concert; and the authors will receive, via electronic mail, private comments from the critics on their submissions. From the 18 reviews chosen, the panel will award one review the $1000 Public Review Prize, to be announced by Rubin Institute benefactor Stephen Rubin, President and Publisher of Henry Holt & Co., on Sunday, January 22 at 11:00 AM.
Further information may be obtained through the Institute’s Web site, which includes a Contact Us page.
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