MARLOWE STOUDAMIRE AWARD for Innovation and Community Collaboration

The DSO is pleased to honor musician and educator Kris Johnson as this year’s recipient of the Marlowe Stoudamire Award for Innovation and Community Collaboration.

Johnson is a Detroit-based trumpeter, composer, arranger, film scorer, and educator with an expansive career for an artist so young. He has played in and arranged for the renowned Count Basie Orchestra; composed musicals including Jim Crow’s Tears and Hastings Street: The Musical; scored films including the Emmy-nominated web series King Ester; and produced successful personal projects, such as his #looptherapy album and his Kris Johnson Big Band YouTube series.

Johnson has served as Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Utah; a Project Director for Pontiac School District, leading a U.S. Department of Education Arts in Education - Model Development and Dissemination Grant; and as the Education and Digital Programming Manager for the Motown Museum. He has also served on the teaching faculty at The Ohio State University and the DSO’s Civic Youth Ensembles, and as an Artistic Liaison for JazzEd Detroit through a partnership with ArtOps and the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation. Currently, Johnson is the Director of Michigan State University’s Community Music School – Detroit and teaches through his online platform, Office Hours with Kris

Johnson empowers students with effective teaching methods and creates an environment of kindness and warmth where the next generation of musicians can feel safe, supported, and inspired.

The Marlowe Stoudamire Award for Innovation and Community Collaboration is presented annually in memory of late Detroit community leader Marlowe Stoudamire. Stoudamire helped guide the mission of Classical Roots and inspired innovation and creativity as a member of the Steering Committee for six years. He was an enthusiastic and engaged supporter of the arts and youth development in Detroit and served a mentor to innumerable young professionals and leaders in the community.

In 2022, the DSO celebrated Chris Harrington, former DSO Senior Director of Jazz and @ The Max and current President and CEO of the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, as the inaugural recipient of this award.

The DSO lost a dear friend and leader when Anne Parsons passed away in March 2022 following a courageous battle with cancer.

During her tenure as President and CEO from 2004-2021, Anne led with grace, courage, and conviction, never wavering from her strongly held belief that the DSO is the best in the world, and that Detroit is a vibrant and resilient city that deserves an orchestra to match.

“Anne attended her first Classical Roots concert while being recruited for the position of DSO President & CEO,” said 2020 Classical Roots Honoree Chacona Baugh. “From that moment on, she enthusiastically supported the mission of Classical Roots. Her commitment led to the strengthening and broader acceptance of the concert and celebration, as well as the expansion of community and educational programming that uplifts African American musicians and highlights their contributions to classical music. The DSO community, the Classical Roots Steering Committee, and the entire Detroit community has been forever impacted by Anne’s extraordinary leadership.”

American conductor Na’Zir McFadden is the newly appointed Assistant Conductor and Phillip & Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

In this position, he works closely with Music Director Jader Bignamini and guest conductors on both the PVS Classical Series and William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series. Additionally, he leads pre-concert lectures at Orchestra Hall, and conducts a variety of programs on the Educational Concert Series, Young People’s Family Concert Series, and PNC Pops Series, as well as DTE Community Concerts.

Also commencing in the 2022-23 season, Na’Zir begins his tenure as Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra. This season, they will present three programs—exploring the symphonies of Dvořák, Tchaikovsky, and Florence Price.

An advocate for arts education, McFadden strives to provide access to the arts for students in underserved communities. This season, McFadden will make appearances with youth ensembles in Salt Lake City and with the Philadelphia AllCity Music Festival. In the past, he’s worked with youth ensembles in Chicago, New York City, St. Louis, and Los Angeles.

Recent engagements include a recording project with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago as part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s “Notes for Peace” initiative—which featured Hilary Hahn as guest soloist.

McFadden was the inaugural Apprentice Conductor of the Philadelphia Ballet Orchestra from 2020 to 2022, where he worked with Music Director Beatrice Jona Affron. He also served as the Robert L. Poster Conducting Apprentice of the New York Youth Symphony from 2020 to 2021.

Na’Zir conducted his hometown orchestra—The Philadelphia Orchestra—in their “Pop-Up” series in 2017, where he met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who has been a mentor ever since. The Philadelphia Inquirer praised his “great stick [baton] technique and energetic presence on the podium” in their review of the concert.

Recent and upcoming engagements include a series of commissions with Orchestra 2001 and appearances with the Utah Symphony and the Philadelphia Ballet.

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