The Charles Ives Living award, a prize organized by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, was won by Brooklyn-based composer James Matheson. An award of $200,000 over a two-year period, is included in the prize.

According to the academy, the award is intended to free the recipient "from the need to devote his or her time to any employment other than music composition." The winner "agrees to forgo all salaried employment during the award period [but] there is no restriction on accepting composition commissions."

A new violin concerto by Matheson was premiered by the Chicago Symphony last month, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.

[source: latimesblogs.latimes.com]