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By Skip Sheffield
Staff Writer |
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Andrew Witchger, a Boca Raton pianist, singer, composer and teacher, was named the first recipient of the new Clyde Fyfe Award at a reception Thursday at the home of Marta and James Batmasian.
Witchger, 36, has lived in Boca Raton since 1995 with his wife Jody and their four children. A prolific and widely-published composer of music for Catholic liturgy and religious stage musicals. Witchger is music director at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Boca Raton and a teacher at St. Joan of Arc School. In November, he recorded his first secular CD, "Lula’s Café," singing 12 of his own songs under the name Andrew Jay. The album will soon be available in stores and for radio broadcast.
"Wow, oh my gosh," commented Witchger Friday. "For a musician it’s quite a windfall. That’s a lot of gigs. It’s also quite an honor to receive an award named for Clyde Fyfe. They said wonderful things about him at the reception."
The Clyde Fyfe Award, created to honor the memory of Regional Arts Foundation founder Clyde Fyfe, will be given annually to support the work of young composers, playwrights, choreographers and writers living in Palm Beach County.
The award will alternate with the Hector Ubertalli Award, given to visual artists.
Witchger was lured to the reception by Palm Beach County Cultural Council director Will Ray under the pretext of playing a regular gig.
"Will said he’d like me to play a little cocktail music at a reception, and he stressed they have a nine-foot Steinway grand," Witchger relates. "I said sure, and I asked if I could sing some of my own songs. About halfway through the reception Will got up and made the announcement. I was really susprised." |
