Gardner-Webb Alumnus Nathaniel Parks Named a Recipient of the ASCAP Foundation 2025 Morton Gould Young Composer Award

Musician and GWU Adjunct Professor Joins Elite Group of Grammy and Pulitzer Prize Winners

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—A Gardner-Webb alumnus and adjunct music professor has been recognized for his extraordinary skills as a music composer. Nathaniel Parks, ’17, is one of 16 to receive the 2025 American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award. Presented to talented young creators of concert music ranging in age from 13 to 30, this honor reflects remarkable talent, vision and dedication to their talents.

“These young composers embody the very best of the next generation in concert music,” ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams acknowledged.

Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Music Dr. Aaron M. Rice praised Parks’ accomplishment. “Professor Parks is a tremendous asset to the Department of Music at Gardner-Webb. As an alumnus and now a faculty member, he embodies the spirit of Gardner-Webb. This award is one of the highest honors in his field. Our students have an incredible opportunity to study with one of the finest young American composers.”

Professor of Music Dr. Bruce Moser further noted that as a winner of the award, Parks joins a very select group of names, including Grammy-winning composer, pianist and singer-songwriter Emily Bear and Pulitzer Prize-winning composers: Michael Abels, Jennifer Higdon, David Lang, Melinda Wagner and Julia Wolfe. Moser added, “Since graduating Peabody with his master’s, Parks has been the recipient of numerous commissions and composer residencies. In his first year of teaching for us, he organized three guest lectures, putting our student composers in direct contact with some of the foremost in the field.”

The program grants cash prizes to concert music composers, who submit scores for consideration. Works are selected through a juried national competition. The honor was established in 1979 as The ASCAP Foundation Young Composer Awards with funding from The ASCAP Foundation Jack and Amy Norworth Fund. Jack Norworth wrote such standards as “Shine On Harvest Moon” and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

ASCAP Foundation Executive Director Nicole George-Middleton added, “The ASCAP Foundation is committed to supporting emerging music creators through opportunities like this. We’re deeply grateful to the judges and funding partners whose support brings these programs to life.”

Parks, who lives near Baltimore, Md., said winning the award is affirmation of his development as an artist. “So many musicians that I deeply respect won a Morton Gould Award when they were young, and it feels so surreal to be counted among them,” he acknowledged.

Judges for The ASCAP Foundation 2025 Morton Gould Young Composer Awards were Henry Dorn, Daniel Felsenfeld, Vivian Fung, Shawn Okpebholo, Robert Paterson and Ania Vu.

Parks’ talents as a composer were already gaining attention when he was a senior at Gardner-Webb. His choral work was chosen from 700 submissions and performed at the Society of Composers Inc. (SCI) national conference. “At GWU, the faculty really invested in my success,” Parks reflected. “They saw something in me and pushed me to be a better musician. I was given opportunities that were well beyond what my peers at other institutions received. They encouraged me to dream bigger than I had been, and this award really affirms what they saw in me.”

The annual ASCAP Foundation Young Composer program was dedicated to Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Morton Gould’s memory following his death in 1996 to honor his lifelong commitment to encouraging young creators. A child prodigy himself, Gould’s first composition was published by G. Schirmer when he was only six years of age. Gould served as President of ASCAP and The ASCAP Foundation from 1986-1994.

Parks’ music explores themes of vulnerability, community, and resonance, whether emotional, cultural, or acoustic. It has been performed around the country by ensembles such as Dualis, Confluss, Bergamot Quartet, and the Peabody Conservatory Chamber Vocal Ensembles. His music has also been presented at numerous festivals and conferences including the Florida State University Festival of New Music (2024), New Music on the Point (2023), and Walden’s Creative Musicians Retreat (2022).

As a singer, Parks has served many choirs both on the stage and behind the scenes. He is currently the director of operations for the Washington Master Chorale, a staff tenor at Grace and Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church in Baltimore, and was selected as a tenor vocal fellow for the Baltimore Choral Arts Society’s 2021-22 season.

He holds a Master of Music in Composition from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. He will be pursuing his doctorate at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California in the fall of 2025.

About The ASCAP Foundation

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, The ASCAP Foundation was founded in 1975. It is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established as a separate entity from ASCAP, dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education and talent development programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs, and public service projects for senior composers and lyricists. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers around the world. www.ascapfoundation.org.

About Gardner-Webb

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.