The Handel Medallion is an American award presented by the City of New York. It is the city's highest award given to individuals for their contribution to the city's intellectual and cultural life.

Handel Medallion
LocationNew York City
CountryUnited States
Presented byThe City of New York, United States
Reward(s)Medallion
First awarded1959

Establishment

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The award was first issued in 1959 to Virginia Portia Royall Inness-Brown, upon the 200th anniversary of the death of George Handel (1685–1759), the German-British Baroque composer, noted for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. The award was established under New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr.[1]

Award winners

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Year Recipient Notes
1959 Virginia Portia Royall Inness-Brown (1901–1990)
1964 Sidney Poitier (1927–2022) [2]
1965 Joseph B. Martinson (1914–1970) [3][4]
1966 David Sarnoff, Justino Diaz, and Lionel Hampton [5][1][6]
1967 Richard Rodgers (1902–1979), William Schuman
1968 Janet D. Schenck [7]
1969 Claire Raphael Reis
1970 Martha Graham, George Balanchine, Aaron Copland, Alice Tully
1971 Joseph Papp
1972 Harold Arlen, Charlie Chaplin, Elia Kazan, Dizzy Gillespie [8]
1973 Duke Ellington, Melissa Hayden, Lincoln Kirstein, Beverly Sills
1974 Oratorio Society of New York [9]
1975 Joshua Logan [10]
1976 George Abbott, Margot Fonteyn, Agnes de Mille, Jerome Robbins
1977 Marian Anderson, Leonard Bernstein [11][12]
1978 Elliott Carter
1980 Marilyn Horne [13]
1981 Lena Horne
1982 John Lennon
1985 Leontyne Price
1986 Alexandra Danilova, Antony Tudor
1988 Alvin Ailey [14]
1989 Charles Wadsworth
1993 Robert Merrill, Arthur Mitchell
1997 Skitch Henderson (1918–2005) [15]
1999 Merce Cunningham
2002 Licia Albanese, Roberta Peters
2008 Neil Simon [16]
2009 Jessye Norman [17]
2010 Judith Jamison [18]
2011 Stephen Sondheim [19]
2013 Harvey Lichtenstein [20]

Years unknown:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "JUSTINO DIAZ GETS CITY CULTURE PRIZE". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  2. ^ "City Awards Poitier Cultural Prize". The New York Times. 1964-04-21. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  3. ^ PDF (January 12, 1965). [1] "Text of Speech by Mayor Robert F. Wagner at Reception Meeting of the New York Shakespeare Festival"]. Robert F. Wagner Documents Collection Retrieved October 27, 2104.
  4. ^ "SHUBERT OUTLETS DUE FOR A RULING; License Chief to Set Hearing on Box Offices at Macy's". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  5. ^ "ARTISTS' AWARD GIVEN TO SARNOFF; R.C.A. Chairman Also Gets City's Handel Medallion". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  6. ^ "Jazz: Hampton and Friends at Stadium". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  7. ^ "Janet D. Schenck Awarded Medal for Service to Music". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  8. ^ Gillespie, Dizzy with Al Fraser. To Be Or Not To Bop. New York: Da Capo Press. 1979.
  9. ^ "Briefs On The Arts; History of Film' At the Modern". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  10. ^ "Enchanted Evening for Joshua Logan". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  11. ^ Quindlen, Anna (February 28, 1977), "Marian Anderson Honored at 75 by Carnegie Hall Concert", The New York Times, p. 24
  12. ^ "Filled with Emotion", The New York Times, November 22, 1977, retrieved April 15, 2012
  13. ^ "Joan Schneider Bride of Dr. Gerald Seaman; Marilyn Horne to Receive Handel Medal on the Air". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  14. ^ "Explore Our History".
  15. ^ "Press Release Archives #722-97 Mayor Presents Handel Medallion to Skitch Hederson". www.nyc.gov. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  16. ^ McElroy, Steven (November 10, 2008). "ARTS, BRIEFLY; The Mayors Awards". The New York Times.
  17. ^ Press release (December 8, 1997). "MAYOR BLOOMBERG PRESENTS 2009 MAYOR’S AWARDS FOR ARTS & CULTURE AT FRANK SINATRA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS". Mayor of New York City's Press Office. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  18. ^ "Judith Jamison to Receive Handel Medallion from Mayor Bloomberg 11/8". Broadway World. November 1, 2010.
  19. ^ Cohen, Patricia (October 10, 2011). "Sondheim to Receive New York City Arts Honor". The New York Times.
  20. ^ Berkvist, Robert (February 11, 2017). "Harvey Lichtenstein, Who Led Brooklyn Academy of Music's Rebirth, Dies at 87". The New York Times.