Saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman was named a recipient of the annual MacArthur fellowship today, joining 20 other honorees in fields ranging from mathematics to cartooning. As a recipient of the so-called “Genius Grant,” Coleman will receive $625,000 over a five-year period, which he may use in any manner he desires.
In a statement, the MacArthur Foundation said that it awarded Coleman because his “technical virtuosity and engagement with musical traditions and styles from around the world are expanding the expressive and formal possibilities of spontaneous composition.”
Coleman’s selection places him in the company of such previous honorees from the jazz community as Max Roach, Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, Regina Carter, Jason Moran, Dafnis Prieto, Miguel Zenón and Vijay Iyer.
The full text of the foundation’s award to Coleman can be read here.
