The MacArthur Fellowship is a $800,000, no-strings-attached award to extraordinarily talented and creative individuals as an investment in their potential.
Among the 22 individuals to receive a MacArthur Award in 2025 are three from New York State, including: Archaeologist Kristina Douglass of Manhattan; Improvising Musician and Composer Craig Taborn of Brooklyn; and Composer, Lyricist, Playwright, and Vocalist Heather Christian of Beacon, NY.
Kristina Douglass is an Columbia University archaeologist investigating how human societies and environments co-evolved and adapted to climate variability. Douglass’s research focuses on coastal communities in southwest Madagascar, a biodiversity hot spot that is particularly vulnerable to present-day climate change pressures.
She uses tools and methods from archaeology, climatology, and conservation biology and works closely with local, Indigenous, and descendent communities in the co-production of knowledge. Her work offers valuable insights for designing effective conservation policies that protect and respect local livelihoods and cultures.
Craig Taborn is an improvising musician and composer creating singular soundscapes through a virtuosic command of piano and expansive knowledge of musical genres. In performances and recordings as a soloist, bandleader, and sideman, Taborn brings a fearless and sophisticated approach to music making.
He draws from musical traditions as varied as traditional and contemporary jazz, contemporary classical, experimental, electronic, rock, metal, and hip-hop. His constant exploration of genre and style informs his own distinct musical intelligence and voice.
Heather Christian is a composer, lyricist, playwright, and vocalist creating music theater performances that explore the possibility for the sacred and spiritual in our modern world.
Christian’s musical sound reflects a panoply of influences — the jazz and blues of her Southern upbringing, Catholic and Baptist liturgical music, and European choral traditions — and her exceptional artistry with vocal arrangements and orchestration.
Her immersive concert pieces range from the rousing to the ethereal, as she imbues choral singing with emotional urgency and interpersonal drama.
Photo of Kristina Douglass provided.
Source link
