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Encore Awards

Marianne C. Lockwood is the co-founder and president of Orchestra of St. Luke’s, America’s foremost chamber orchestra.  This unique musical organization began 35 years ago as a chamber ensemble in Greenwich Village, in the Church of St. Luke in the Field, and today comprises the Orchestra St. Luke’s, St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, and St. Luke’s Arts Education Program.  St. Luke’s performs approximately 100 New York concerts each year, all showcasing the hallmark collaborative spirit that has garnered consistent critical acclaim.

Marianne has led St. Luke’s from its humble beginnings to its stature as one of the world’s leading chamber music ensembles.  The Orchestra has collaborated with leading conductors and soloists and has premiered over 100 new works.  St. Luke’s regularly performs at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and at venues throughout New York City and beyond.  Its operating budget has grown to over $5 million and its musical legacy is documented on over 70 recordings, four of which have earned Grammy Awards.

Through Marianne’s guidance, St. Luke’s Arts Education program provides free performances and year-long in-school residencies engaging 20,000 NYC public schoolchildren and their teachers annually.  Because of Marianne’s commitment to the importance of music education in the lives of children, St. Luke’s has served over one million students.

In recent years, Marianne has led St. Luke’s to take on its most ambitious project ever: The DiMenna Center for Classical Music.  Located at 450 West 37th Street, The DiMenna Center will provide state-of-the-art rehearsal, recording, and education facilities for St. Luke’s and for many of the City’s other musical groups, relieving the shortage of adequate and affordable space for musicians.  It is through Marianne’s vision and persistence that St. Luke’s has made this dream a reality; the Center is scheduled to open in 2011.  Wither her leadership, St. Luke’s has raised over half of its $50 million capital campaign goal, which will not only support the purchase and renovation of The DiMenna Center, but will also provide endowment funds for St. Luke’s artistic initiatives, arts education programming, and general operating expenses.

Throughout her tenure, Marianne has steered a collaborative organization, where musicians and staff enjoy a close working relationship, achieving the highest level of artistic excellence.  She has built a fruitful, enthusiastic, and dynamic board of directors, chaired by Norman Benzaquen.  In August 2010, after over 35 years at the helm of St. Luke’s and as the longest serving head of any US orchestra, Marianne will retire.  Her vision, elegance, and passion will live on in St. Luke’s future successes.