Rudresh Mahanthappa, the 44-year-old alto saxophonist and
composer, has been named one of 37 new United States Artists Fellows, an
honor that comes with an unrestricted $50,000 cash award. USA is one of
the largest grant-making organizations in the country, providing
support to creative Americans across nine different disciplines,
including music, dance, crafts, theater, literature and visual arts.
Mahanthappa is one of seven musicians to receive the honor this year;
previous recipients in music have included drummer Jack DeJohnette,
pianist-composer Jason Moran and singer-songwriter-musician Meshell
Ndegeocello.
Mahanthappa is something of a magnet when it comes to grants. He was
named a Guggenheim Fellow in 2007 and has also been awarded two grants
from the New York State Council on the Arts and three Rockefeller MAP
grants. “I definitely count my blessings,” Mahanthappa says by phone
from the Canary Islands, where he is currently touring in support of his
most recent recording, Bird Calls. “The universe is definitely
looking out for me; there’s no question about that. I’m trying to do new
and different stuff and I’m always trying to reframe what I do and make
sure that it relates to both the tradition of this music and the future
of where this music can go. I’m good at talking about it too, and that
helps as well.”
Mahanthappa was nominated for the USA grant first and only then asked
to submit examples of his work as part of the application process.
“It’s based on the work that you’ve done,” he says. “It’s not
necessarily project-specific but more about things that you would like
to do going forward. [While preparing the application] It was
interesting to look at all these different things that I’ve done over 15
years, whether it’s with a dance company or my electro-acoustic
project, and to say, ‘Oh, yeah, I guess you’re on to something.’”
The United States Artist fellowship, says Mahanthappa, is different
than most other cash grants to creative artists in that “it has a
special trajectory. It’s multi-disciplinary. There’s a trend in the
funding world not only to give awards but to get these [recipients]
together and start conversations. There is something that continues
beyond the award, which I think is really important right now. People
get the Guggenheim and they do their thing and then it kind of ends, and
that’s great, but to think long-term, and to establish connections
between artists that are trying to make similar waves, is really
important.”
With that in mind, Mahanthappa says that he is already thinking
ahead. “There is some interdisciplinary work I’d like to do, working
with video artists. And I have a crazy idea to maybe try to do something
with a comedian in the next couple of years. There are also some
chamber works. I’m just trying to figure out how to branch out and
hopefully the money helps with that, but it also helps with day-to-day
stuff. I did an interview the other day and they asked if the money
actually led to creating new work. I said not necessarily, but it led to
an ease of mind. I mean, sometimes you also need a new car!”
from http://jazztimes.com