Ditson Conductor's Award
The Ditson Conductor's Award, established in 1945, is the oldest award honoring conductors for their commitment to the performance of American music. The US$5,000 purse is endowed by the Alice M. Ditson Fund at Columbia University, increased in 1999 from US$1,000. The Ditson Conductor's Award was established five years after the 30 April 1940 death of Alice M. Ditson, widow of music publisher Charles Healy Ditson and daughter-in-law of Oliver Ditson, founder of the publishing house that bore his name. Her will bequested $400,000 (equivalent to $ million in ) to Columbia University was for "the encouragement and aide of musicians." From this was born fellowships, public hearings, publication of the work of talented musicians and the Ditson Conductor's Award. Ditson Conductor's Award recipients 1945 Howard Hanson 1946 Léon Barzin 1947 Alfred Wallenstein 1948 Dean Dixon 1949 Thor Johnson 1950 Izler Solomon 1951 Robert Whitney 1952 Leopold Stokowski 1953 Walter Hendl 1954 David Broekman 1955 Robert Shaw 1956 Victor Alessandro 1957 Howard Mitchell 1958 Leonard Bernstein 1959 Julius Rudel 1960 Richard Bales 1961 Richard Franko Goldman 1962 Guy Fraser Harrison 1963 Milton Katims 1964 Emerson Buckley 1965 Jacob Avshalomov 1966 William Strickland 1967 Igor Buketoff 1968 Alan Carter 1969 Frederick