Valentin M. Bogdan, associate professor of music at Mississippi University for Women, has been awarded a $5,000 artist fellowship from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC).
The funds are a portion of the nearly $1.4 million in grants the commission awarded for 2018-2019. It will be used to help Bogdan in his creative work as a composer and pianist, the composition and performances in the United States and Europe of a set of piano works inspired by his Mississippi experiences.
“I am extremely honored to be the recipient of this artist fellowship,” said Bogdan, who has been a music professor at The W since 2013. “Since I moved here five years ago, the beautiful sights and wonderful people of Mississippi have been a true inspiration for my work as a composer. This grant will help me share my newest compositions — piano works based on my Mississippi experiences — with audiences all across the U.S. and Europe.”
Malcolm White, executive director of MAC, said, “Artists who receive grants from the Mississippi Arts Commission represent some of the most gifted individuals in their respective fields. These outstanding artists carry on Mississippi’s legacy of artistic excellence, and MAC is proud to support those who enliven and enrich their communities with the creative spirit.”
An award-winning composer and pianist, Bogdan enjoys an international career, with performances in Italy, Canada, Russia, France, Jordan, Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria and the United States.
Career highlights include wining the Second Prize at the Ellis Duo Piano Competition, winning the Second Prize at the Varna International Piano Competition, winning the Wayne State Concerto Competition, the 2015 Mississippi Music Teachers Association Commissioned Composer of the Year and the 2010 Florida Music Teachers Association Commissioned Composer of the year.
Bogdan appears on recordings released by Ravello Records and Ablaze Records, and he has also released three solo piano albums and a duo piano album with music colleague Julia Mortyakova, chair of The W’s music department and associate professor of music.
“I would like to thank the Mississippi Arts Commission and our legislators for their continuous support for the arts, especially contemporary classical music,” said Bogdan.
MAC is a state agency providing grants that support programs to enhance communities, assist artists and arts organizations, promote the arts in education and celebrate Mississippi’s cultural heritage. Established in 1968, MAC is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson and other private sources.
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