The Society for American Music is delighted to host an annual series of performances of music by contemporary American composers at the society’s annual conferences. We are grateful to the Virgil Thomson Foundation, the Aaron Copland Fund, and to members of the Society for their generous support. This concert series honors Vivian Perlis, whose publications, scholarly activities, and direction of the Oral History of American Music (OHAM) project at Yale University have made immeasurable contributions to our understanding of American composers and music cultures. In 2007, the Society for American Music awarded her the Lifetime Achievement Award for her remarkable achievements.
| Conference Year | Concert Program |
|---|---|
| 2016 Boston | Florestan Recital Project |
| 2017 Montreal | Concert Program |
| 2018 Kansas City | Works by 2018 Honorary Members Chen Yi and Zhou Long |
| 2019 New Orleans | Music of New Orleans |
| 2020 Virtual | |
| 2021 Virtual (Tacoma) | Harry Partch Ensemble |
| 2022 Virtual (Tuscon) | Tish Hinojosha and Teodoro “Ted” Ramirez |
| 2023 Minneapolis | Gaelynn Lea |
| 2024 Detroit | “An American Voice” in Honor of George Shirley |