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SUNY Potsdam Alumni Present 2023 Minerva Award to Burt Mason '97

Burt Mason '97 of New York City Recognized with 2023 Minerva Award, Highest Honor Bestowed by the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association

Potsdam, NY (07/21/2023) — The SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association recently presented the Minerva Award, its highest honor, to Crane School of Music alumnus Burt Mason '97 of New York City, during Reunion 2023.

The Minerva Award is presented annually to a graduate who has demonstrated outstanding professional achievement in his or her field. It is the highest honor that a SUNY Potsdam graduate can receive from the association. Mason was recognized for his extraordinary success in the field of music as a performer, educator and advocate.

About the recipient:

Burt Mason '97 showed exceptional promise as an undergraduate student at The Crane School of Music, winning the concerto competition as a sophomore and serving as principal trombone in multiple ensembles. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music, Burt went on to earn a Master of Business Administration degree in arts administration at Binghamton University and a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music.

Today, Burt's reputation and connections reach from coast to coast in the United States and continue to expand internationally. Burt is currently the principal trombonist with the Chamber Orchestra of New York. He is also an associate musician with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, a guest artist with the New York Philharmonic and a Yamaha Performing Artist and Clinician.

In addition to performing, Burt is a teacher and educator, serving as a trombone lecturer at Rutgers University, and on the faculty of the Julliard School's Prep Division and for the New England Conservatory Summer Orchestral Institute. He is also a low brass instructor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic's National Take A Stand Festival, a program dedicated to enriching the lives of underserved students.

Burt is passionate about shining light on social injustices. In 2021, he developed and produced a short film with music, titled "For The Brotherhood," created in response to the racially motivated violence he has witnessed throughout his life. In 2017, he served as an artist in residency at his alma mater, in a series titled "Untold Legacies of Black Composers."

Of this residency, former Crane Dean Dr. Michael Sitton (Hon. '22) shared, "Burtbrings affirmation and encouragement to a new musical generation, contributing to and helping to foster the widening diversity in our field. While there is much still to be done, we are gratified that Burt, one of Crane's own, is leading the way by bringing his strongly compelling message to young musicians everywhere."

To find out more about how SUNY Potsdam connects with its devoted alumni, visit www.potsdam.edu/alumni.

About The Crane School of Music:

Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York's only All-Steinway institution. For more information, please visit www.potsdam.edu/crane.

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Seen here during a masterclass at his alma mater, Burt Mason ’97 of New York, N.Y., is the recipient of the 2023 Minerva Award from the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association.

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