ASCAPlu$ Award winners, selected by an independent panel, are rewarded for their contributions to the field of music through original works, compositions and recent performances that are not generally recognized by ASCAP.

Marinescu, a professor of music composition, harmony, orchestration and form and analysis, has written five compositions in the past year and his works have been performed throughout Europe and the United States. Last year, Marinescu received a prestigious commission from the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University to compose an orchestral piece to be performed within three years.

After earning a bachelor's degree in music composition from the Bucharest Music Academy, the Romania-born Marinescu came to the United States in 1992 to pursue a master's degree in music from Cleveland State University. At the University of Maryland, he received a doctorate of musical arts.

Marinescu's compositions have been performed by numerous avant-garde ensembles throughout Europe, New York, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia as well as by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic in the Czech Republic and the National Radio Orchestra of Bucharest.

Marinescu's work reflects a post-modernist philosophy, attempting to bridge the cultural and aesthetic gap between musical composers and audiences by embracing all music, musical elements and society, he said.

Caring more about his musical philosophy rather than the award itself, Marinescu said, "My recent successes are a reward as well as an encouragement to continue on this path."

Whitwell has taught at CSUN since 1969. He developed the university's wind ensemble, which has since earned an international reputation and has toured through Europe and Japan.

Whitwell has guest conducted the Czech Radio Orchestras of Bruno and Bratislava, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Israel and various wind ensembles throughout Europe and Asia. He has coached professional ensembles in Austria, Bolivia, England, Germany, Korea, the Netherlands and the United States.

Whitwell graduated from the University of Michigan, received a Ph.D. in musicology from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., and studied at the Akademie fŸr Musik in Vienna.

Established in 1914, ASCAP represents composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers worldwide and is designed to protect its members by easing the licensing process for use of their copyrighted works.