- Crosmer to share award-winning education and community engagement work at the League’s 76th National Conference, online, June 7-17
Detroit, (June 7, 2021) – Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) Cello Jeremy Crosmer is one of just five orchestra musicians from across the U.S. to receive a Ford Musician Award for Excellence in Community Service from the League of American Orchestras. He is receiving this award for his work on the DSO’s partnership with the Creative Expressions Program at Kadima, an Oakland County nonprofit that provides comprehensive residential, therapeutic, social, and enrichment services to adults with mental health needs. Supported by Ford Motor Company Fund, the awards recognize professional musicians’ deeply impactful work outside the concert hall, much of it virtual this year due to the pandemic. Crosmer will be recognized along with four other musicians from across the country at the 2021 League Conference Online, June 7-17, 2021.
The 2021 awardees work with both adults and children in a rich variety of community settings, using music as a therapeutic tool for adults with severe and persistent mental health challenges; providing pop-up concerts during food bank distributions; bringing orchestra musicians to a regional hospital and the many constituents it serves; organizing front-porch private violin lessons and schoolyard group classes during the pandemic to breach the digital divide; and bringing the joy of music to toddlers and their families.
“The musicians we see on stage making great music together in an orchestra are all treasured individual members of their communities. Many of them are using their talents and humanity to teach, to inspire, and to draw out the power of music for comfort and healing,” said League President and CEO Simon Woods. “This award honors that work, and the incredible generosity of spirit that underpins it. We’re grateful to Ford Motor Company Fund for their years of support for this important program—made even more meaningful due to the pandemic.”
“These five musicians have truly gone above and beyond for their communities over the past year, creating lasting positive impacts during such an uncertain time,” said Yisel Cabrera, Manager, Government and Community Relations, Ford Motor Company Fund. “When people couldn’t get together in person, being able to connect through music brought joy to so many.”
Crosmer is a leader in community engagement for the DSO, building meaningful partner relationships on a foundation of respect and trust. While engaging in the musical aspects of Kadima's Creative Expressions Program, Crosmer also connects with participants on a personal level, taking interest in their unique interests and desires. “Jeremy deserves this award not only for his dedication to this program, but also for embodying what we strive to do with all our community partners—listening and working together to create programming that is relevant to our community,” said DSO Manager of Community Engagement Clare Valenti.
Of the partnership, Crosmer said, “I am blessed to be able to serve the mental health community. We foster a positive atmosphere by accessing participants at their level in the comfort of their facility or homes, and we also elevate them through collaboration and showcasing at our concert hall and online.”
Since 2016, 25 professional orchestra musicians from across the country have received awards. Honorees were selected through a competitive application process; each musician receives a cash award of $2,500 and complimentary registration to the League’s National Conference. The musician’s orchestra receives a grant of $2,500 to support professional development for its roster of musicians, as well as complimentary registration for one staff member to attend the Conference.
The 2021 awardees will be recognized at the League of American Orchestras online Conference during the Opening Session on Monday, June 7 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. They will also present their work at “Partnering Effectively,” a joint constituency meeting for musicians and education and community engagement staff, on Monday, June 14 at 1 p.m. Eastern. Videos of the musicians’ work will be posted on the League’s website after the Conference.
About Jeremy Crosmer
Jeremy Crosmer, Cello
Victor and Gale Girolami Chair
DSO member since 2017
Jeremy Crosmer is a remarkable young artist—both as a cellist and a composer. He completed multiple graduate degrees from the University of Michigan in cello, composition and theory pedagogy, and received his D.M.A. in 2012 at age 24. From 2012 to 2017 he served as the Assistant Principal cellist in the Grand Rapids Symphony, and joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in May of 2017.
Crosmer is the composer and arranger for the GRS Music for Health Initiative, which pairs symphonic musicians with music therapists to bring classical music to hospitals. In March of 2017 the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital launched a music channel that runs continuously, using four hours of meditative music composed by Crosmer and performed by musicians of the GRS.
Crosmer is a founding member of the modern music ensemble Latitude 49. He is also a current member of the band ESME—a duo that aims to broaden the education of classical music by bringing crossovers and mashups of pop and classical music to schools throughout Michigan. ESME released its first CD in December of 2016.
In April of 2013 Crosmer toured London with the Grand Valley State University Chamber Orchestra, performing the Boccherini G Major Concerto, No. 7. He performed the Vivaldi Double Concerto with Alicia Eppinga and the GRS in March of 2016. While still in school, Crosmer was awarded the prestigious Theodore Presser Graduate Music Award to publish, record and perform his Crosmer-Popper duets. He recorded the duets with Julie Albers, and both sheet music and CD recordings are available online.
Crosmer has taught music theory, pre-calculus, and cello at universities across Michigan. He draws mazes, writes science fiction, and plays good old country fiddle in his spare time.
The five 2021 Ford Musician Awards for Excellence in Community Service honorees and their orchestras are:
Sean Claire, Violin
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s Music & Wellness program
Jeremy Crosmer, Cello
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s partnership with Kadima Mental Health Services’ Creative Expressions Program
Lorien Benet Hart, Violin
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s partnership with 412 Food Rescue
Miho Hashizume, Violin
The Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra’s violin program at Mound Elementary School in the Slavic Village neighborhood (front-porch private violin lessons and schoolyard group classes during the pandemic)
John Turman, Horn
Seattle Symphony
Tiny Tots early-childhood education series and Tiny Clips for Tiny Tots online program
About the DSO
The most accessible orchestra on the planet, the acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. As a community-supported orchestra, generous giving by individuals and institutions at all levels drives the continued success and growth of the organization. In January 2020, Italian conductor Jader Bignamini was named the DSO’s next music director to commence with the 2020-2021 season. Conductor Leonard Slatkin, who concluded a decade-long tenure at the helm in 2018, now serves as the DSO’s Music Director Laureate. Celebrated conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Jeff Tyzik is the orchestra’s Principal Pops Conductor, while the outstanding trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard holds the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair. Making its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, the DSO offers a performance schedule that features Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. One of the world’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall celebrated its centennial in 2019-2020. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in eight metro area venues, as well as a robust schedule of eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a radio broadcast and continues today with the free Live from Orchestra Hall webcast series, which also reaches tens of thousands of children with the Classroom Edition expansion. With growing attendance and unwavering philanthropic support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to embrace and inspire individuals, families, and communities through unsurpassed musical experiences.
About Ford Motor Company Fund
As the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, Ford Fund’s mission is to strengthen communities and help make people’s lives better. Working with dealers and nonprofit partners in more than 50 countries, Ford Fund provides access to opportunities and resources that help people reach their full potential. Since 1949, Ford Fund has invested more than $2.1 billion in programs that support education, promote safe driving, enrich community life and encourage employee volunteering. For more information, visit www.fordfund.org or join us at @FordFund on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About the League of American Orchestras
The League of American Orchestras leads, supports, and champions America’s orchestras and the vitality of the music they perform. Its diverse membership of more than 1,800 organizations and individuals across North America runs the gamut from world-renowned orchestras to community groups, from summer festivals to student and youth ensembles, from conservatories to libraries, from businesses serving orchestras to individuals who love symphonic music. The national organization dedicated solely to the orchestral experience, the League is a nexus of knowledge and innovation, advocacy, and leadership advancement. Its conferences and events, award-winning Symphony magazine, website, and other publications inform people around the world about orchestral activity and developments. Founded in 1942 and chartered by Congress in 1962, the League links a national network of thousands of instrumentalists, conductors, managers and administrators, board members, volunteers, and business partners. Visit americanorchestras.org.