Dr. Valentin M. Bogdan Receives Mississippi Arts Commission Artist Fellowship
Dr. Valentin M. Bogdan, professor of music at Mississippi University for Women, was awarded an Artist Fellowship from the Mississippi Arts Commission in the classical music composition category. This competitive award is a portion of the more than $1.7 million in grants MAC awarded in Fiscal Year 2025. This is the second time in his career that Bogdan has received this prestigious award.
Bogdan, an accomplished composer and pianist, has showcased his musical prowess across Europe, North America and the Middle East, performing in esteemed venues in the US, Canada, Netherlands, Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania and Jordan. His discography includes two solo albums, “The Grands of Piano” and “Romanian Music of Past and Present,” as well as two piano duo albums, “Journey for Two” and “Music by Women,” in collaboration with the Mortyakova/Bogdan piano duo. Throughout his career, Bogdan has been honored with several prestigious awards, notably the 2018 Mississippi Arts Commission Artist Fellowship, second prize at the Ellis Duo Piano Competition and Prize at the International Varna Symphonic Workshop (Concerto Competition), Mississippi Music Teachers Association Commissioned Composer of the Year (2017) and the Florida Music Teachers Association Commissioned Composer of the Year.
“Mississippi is synonymous with the quality of art that emits from our state. The arts enhance the quality of life and local economies,” said David Lewis, executive director for the Mississippi Arts Commission. “With the generous support from the Mississippi Legislature, we can activate our citizens’ innate creativity and invest in our communities.”
MAC’s annual grant funds come from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mississippi State Legislature. Awards were made in 92 Mississippi House of Representatives districts and 52 state Senate districts.
The Mississippi Arts Commission is a state agency serving more than 2 million people through grants and special initiatives that enhance communities, assist artists and arts organizations, promote arts education and celebrate Mississippi’s cultural heritage. MAC is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation for Mississippi and other private sources. For more information, visit www.arts.ms.gov.
For information about the Mississippi Arts Commission, please contact Ellie Banks, communications director at (601) 359-6546 or ebanks@arts.ms.gov.