MacPhail Duet Awards

The MacPhail Duet Award is the highest honor offered by MacPhail. The award began in 2008 and is offered annually to honor an individual and an organization that have advanced the mission of MacPhail “to transform lives and communities through exceptional music learning” by their volunteerism, financial support or advocacy of MacPhail and music learning.

Duet Award Recipients

2008 DUET AWARD
Kathryn and Charles Cunningham
Claire Givens Violins, Inc.

2009 DUET AWARD
Stuart L. MacPhail
Best Buy

2010 DUET AWARD
Ann Buran
CIGNA

2011 DUET AWARD
Thomas (Tim) Brown
J. Hazen Graves
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

2012 DUET AWARD
Ellen Breyer
US Bank

2013 DUET AWARD
Dorwatha Woods
General Mills

2014 DUET AWARD 
Sonja and Lowell Noteboom
Metropolitan Library Service Agency

2015 DUET AWARD
Teresa Bonner
The McKnight Foundation

2016 DUET AWARD
Peter Spokes
Lifetouch Photography

2017 DUET AWARD
Ellen A. Michelson
3M

2018 DUET AWARD
Patty Murphy
Aimee and Patrick Butler Family Foundation

2019 DUET AWARD
David O’Fallon
Otto Bremer Trust

2021 DUET AWARD
Michael and Jean Antonello
Ecolab

2022 DUET AWARD
Margee and Will Bracken
The Hormel Foundation

Any MacPhail volunteer, employee, donor, student, or student family member may nominate an eligible candidate for the award.

MacPhail Duet Awards FAQ

The MacPhail Duet Award is the highest honor offered by MacPhail. It was started in 2008 to honor an individual who and an organization that has advanced the mission of MacPhail “to transform lives and communities through exceptional music learning” by their volunteerism, financial support or advocacy of MacPhail.

Any individual who or organization that advances the mission of MacPhail “to transform lives and communities through exceptional music learning” by their volunteerism, financial support or advocacy of MacPhail is eligible. Generally, current board members and current employees are not eligible. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the CEO and board of directors.

Any MacPhail volunteer, employee, donor, student, or student family member may nominate someone for the award.

Recipients are chosen by a small committee of board members and staff selected by the CEO of MacPhail.

Recipients are honored as guests of MacPhail at the Annual Dinner (typically in December) and are invited to make comments at the event. All recipients are recognized in MacPhail publications and in its wall of honor in the US Bank Lobby at MacPhail-Minneapolis. Depending on recipients’ knowledge and experience, they may be asked to present to groups of students, faculty or the community at large. Awardees receive an engraved display piece celebrating their honor.

Nominations are accepted year round. Candidates offered by September 30 each year are considered for the current year’s award (i.e., nominate someone by September 30, 2021 for the 2021 award).

Please contact Wendy Kellogg, Executive Assistant and Board Liaison. Candidates offered by September 30 each year will be considered for the current year. Nominations may be carried over multiple years if the selection committee considers the nominees to have merit. You are encouraged to submit the nominee’s name annually or encourage multiple people to nominate the same candidate if you believe the candidate is a strong choice.

Please contact Wendy Kellogg, Executive Assistant and Board Liaison.

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