Early Music America, the national advocacy organization for historically-inspired performance, has announced that Clayton College & State University Professor of Music Dr. Lyle Nordstrom is the recipient of the Thomas Binkley Award for the year 2000.

The Binkley Award is given annually for excellence in scholarship and performance of early music at the college and university level. The award is named for the late Thomas Binkley, who established and directed the Early Music Institute at Indiana University, after having taught at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland and having directed the Studio der Fr¸hen Musik in their world-wide tours.

Nordstrom was cited not only for the "extraordinary level of activity and excellence as Director of Early Music Activities at Clayton College & State University," but also for his work at Oakland University where he taught for 23 years, as well as the impressive record of conferences and symposia he has organized, and workshops in which he has taught throughout the nation.

Nordstrom's influence in mentoring students, several of whom have gone on to international careers in the field of Early Music, was also a factor in the award.

Among the most prominent of Nordstrom's former students are: soprano Ellen Hargis, who is an international recording star; violinist David Douglass, who has also recorded on several labels, and who will be appearing in Spivey Hall next year as the director of The Kinges Noyse; bass and lutanist Joel Frederikson, who is currently dividing his time between Munich, Germany and New York City and who has appeared in Spivey Hall as a member of the Boston Camerata; and Michael Lynn, currently the recorder and Baroque flute teacher at Oberlin Conservatory.

In addition, several CCSU graduates are making their marks in the professional world. Soprano Jolle Greenleaf (1993) has performed with several groups in New York, as well as the Folger Consort in Washington; lutanist Craig Marchetti (1996) received a master's degree with a performance certificate from Indiana University and is currently performing throughout Europe; Harpsichordist Holly Chatham (1996) received a master's degree with a performer's certificate from Indiana University and is currently based in New York and touring with Bimbetta.

Nordstrom will be honored at a reception at the Berkeley Early Music Festival in June. An article about the award will be in the May Issue of the Early Music America magazine.

Clayton College & State University, a member institution of the University System of Georgia, is located in Morrow in south metro Atlanta.

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