In June 2010, Early Music America awarded Dr. Phillip W. Serna with the 2010 Outreach Award for his outreach program ‘Viols in Our Schools.’ Here’s what was posted on Early Music America’s website:
(SEATTLE, WA) Early Music America, the national service organization for the field of early music, announces the winners of its 2010 awards recognizing outstanding accomplishments in early music. These awards will be presented at the EMA Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony at the Berkeley Festival on June 11, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. in the Ballroom of the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley, CA.
Phillip Serna is the recipient of the Early Music Outreach Award, which honors ensembles or individual artists for excellence in early music outreach and/or educational projects for children or adults. Phillip Serna is instructor of double bass and viola da gamba at Valparaiso University, and is on faculty at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Early Music Department. Since its inception in 2006, Phillip Serna’s Viols in Our Schools program has worked to make period-instrument performance for viols a vital part of school communities in locations ranging from Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Texas. With over 35 events and 80 hours of classroom time this season, these programs seek to educate, inform and inspire the next generation of early music enthusiasts, performers and scholars by presenting to students ranging from kindergarten through college age. Phillip has performed on double bass with many Midwest orchestras and on viols and vielle with early music ensembles including Ars Antigua, the Chicago Early Music Consort, the Newberry Consort and the Spirit of Gambo – a Chicago Consort of Viols. Phillip received his Doctor of Music degree from Northwestern University, where he studied viol with Mary Springfels. Phillip is currently president of the Viola da Gamba Society Third Coast, the Chicago chapter of the VdGSA.
To read the complete press release article, please click here. For more information about the Early Music America, visit http://www.earlymusic.org/. For Viols in Our Schools, please visit http://www.violsinourschools.org/.