HONORING DENYCE GRAVES-MONTGOMERY

Recipient of the 2026 Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented by Jamie Bernstein

American mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves-Montgomery has captivated audiences across the globe for over four decades, gracing the world’s most esteemed opera houses and concert halls. A consummate artist with an extensive discography, she has been prominently featured on national public television, appearing in celebrated programs ranging from Great Performances to Sesame Street.

Beyond her illustrious performing career, Ms. Graves-Montgomery is an Emmy and GRAMMY Award-winning artist, and holds the distinguished title of Global Music Ambassador for the United States. Her enduring legacy is further enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution, where her portrait is part of the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection, and her image is commemorated in the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

While Ms. Graves-Montgomery remains an active performer and sought-after stage director, she envisions her greatest legacy extending beyond the stage. Through The Denyce Graves Foundation, she is shaping the future of vocal artistry, empowering the next generation of extraordinary singers, and illuminating the narratives of pivotal yet underrecognized musical pioneers.

HONORING TONY FOGG

Recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Service to the Arts Award
Presented by Jamie Bernstein

Anthony Fogg is the BSO’s Vice-President of Artistic Planning and oversees all programming for the Boston Symphony, the Boston Pops, and Tanglewood. He also manages the BSO’s Archives and is integrally involved in developing the orchestra’s touring activities. Mr. Fogg came to the BSO from Australia in 1994 at the invitation of music director Seiji Ozawa and subsequently played a significant role in the selection of both James Levine and Andris Nelsons as Maestro Ozawa’s successors. Over a career of more than 45 years, he has worked closely with the leading conductors and soloists of today, with many of whom he maintains strong personal relationships. He plays a key part in the BSO’s media activities, having been the executive producer for over 100 BSO recordings in the last 25 years – including the BSO’s pandemic-period productions – and has realized many significant commissions and first performances. Mr. Fogg was central to the creation of the Tanglewood Learning Institute and the building of the Linde Center for Music and Learning, both of which launched in summer 2019. He is on the executive committee of the Avery Fisher Awards and serves on the boards of the Beebe Fund for Musicians, the Sullivan Foundation, and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. He has helped nurture the careers of many young musicians through participation in various national and international scholarship and competition juries.

From 1986 to 1994, Mr. Fogg was Head of Programming for ABC Concerts, the classical music arm of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. During this same period, he was also the Artistic Director and pianist of The Seymour Group, for many years Australia’s leading contemporary music organization. As a pianist, he appeared and recorded with the major orchestras in Australia. Mr. Fogg became an American citizen in 2007 and was named a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Government, for services to French music and culture.