New York, N.Y.- June9, 2010- Hal David, Chairman/CEO of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, announced today that Keith Mardak will receive the Abe Olman Publisher Award at this year’s Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards Gala, taking place Thursday June 17, at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel.
“Keith Mardak has long been immensely respected as an innovative publisher, keeping the important tradition and art of printed music alive, while making it sustainable and viable with today’s new technologies,” commented Chairman/CEO Hal David. “We are pleased to honor him with our prestigious Abe Olman Publisher Award.”
Mardak began his career at the Hal Leonard Corporation in 1970, where he is currently the Chairman/CEO. The Hal Leonard Corporation has experienced a dramatic annual expansion since its beginning, especially with the 1985 purchase Mardak headed by an internal management group. The Hal Leonard Corporation currently is the world’s largest music print publisher with a catalog consisting of over 200,000 publications, covering a broad spectrum of printed music.
Mardak has been a past member of several musical organizations including the board of directors of ASCAP, the Music Publishers Association, the American Music Conference, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, as well as Summerfest, the world’s largest music festival. Mardak currently serves on the board for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and with his help; the Hal Leonard Young Musicians Program along with the Mardak Center for Administration and Training were formed. Mardak was also an essential part in the creation of the Daniels-Mardak Boys & Girls Club, which opened in 2004. The Boys & Girls Clubs today serves more than 33,000 Milwaukee kids a year. In 2005, Mardak received an honorary doctorate from VanderCook College of Music for his groundbreaking philanthropy for music education and inspiration to millions of musicians around the world.
On June 8th at the Bitter End in New York City, five promising young songwriters were given the distinguished Abe Olman Scholarship for Excellence in Songwriting. These individuals are those who have risen to an exemplary standard and have been chosen by ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SGA and SHOF.
This year’s Abe Olman Scholarship recipients are:
Gabriella Caspi (SHOF)
Comic Book Heroes (SESAC)
Rebecca Jordan (ASCAP)
Keli Price (BMI)
Chris Tedesco (SGA)
Abe Olman, for whom the scholarship program is named, was both a major figure in the music publishing community and a songwriter himself, in addition to being one of the founders of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Abe Olman Scholarships given out each year are made possible by his family in the interest of encouraging and supporting the careers of young songwriters the likes of former scholarship recipient John Legend. The Abe Olman Scholarship winners’ songs are also featured on the annual compilation CD; The Best of the Songwriters Hall of Fame New Writers Showcase: Volume 8. There was a performance showcase after the scholarship presentations.
The Holly Prize, a new award made possible by Songmasters and administered and juried by the Songwriters Hall of Fame as a tribute to the legacy of SHOF inductee Buddy Holly was awarded on June 8th to New Jersey native Laura Warshauer. The Holly Prize recognizes and supports the “all-in songwriter,” an exceptionally talented and inspired young musician/singer/songwriter whose work exhibits the qualities of Holly’s music. Additional support for the SHOF will come from the Listen To Me; Buddy Holly recordings, in production under music great, Peter Asher.
Inductees at this year’s event include Leonard Cohen, Jackie DeShannon, David Foster, Johnny Mandel and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Larry Dunn and Al McKay. Posthumous inductees are Tom Adair and Matt Dennis, Bob Marley, Laura Nyro, Sunny Skylar and Jesse Stone. The Johnny Mercer Award will be presented to Phil Collins. The Towering Song this year is “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” to be accepted by Paul Simon. The Hal David Starlight Award will be presented to Taylor Swift. The Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award will be presented to Phil Ramone.
Ticket Information:
Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event begin at $1000 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, (212) 573-6933. Net proceeds from the event will go towards the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs.
CONTACT:
Fran Curtis
Rogers & Cowan
212-445-8423
[email protected]
Caitlin McNamara
Rogers & Cowan
212-445-8232
[email protected]
Lauren Wilsman
Rogers & Cowan
212-445-8486
[email protected]