Paul Hodgins, publisher of Culture OC, recently earned first place in the category Entertainment News or Feature (Over 5 Minutes) at the 67th annual Southern California Journalism Awards on June 22. The event was hosted by the Los Angeles Press Club. The win was shared with Maria Hall Brown, Al Magallon and Kevin King of PBS SoCal for their profile “Under the Baton: Pacific Symphony’s Carl St. Clair.”
In “Under the Baton,” Hodgins interviewed St.Clair about his 35-year tenure at the helm of the orchestra. He also interviewed orchestra members, former Pacific Symphony board president John Evans and the orchestra’s president, John Forsyte, about St.Clair’s influence on the orchestra since he assumed the position in 1990. As Pacific Symphony prepares to welcome its next music director, Alexander Shelley, this production placed St.Clair’s work and legacy in perspective as he passes the baton.
The judges’ said: “In ‘Under the Baton,’ the PBS SoCal team tells a rich story using animated interviews and a combination of recent and archive footage, all set to the soundtrack of the Pacific Symphony’s own music. The final product is a delightful and well-told story.”
Culture OC contributed to the project with a series of three articles:
Part 1: An Ambitious Young Orchestra Survives Some Growing Pains
Part 2: Growth, Turmoil, Tragedy and Triumph
Part 3: Finding a New Conductor for Changing Times
This project was made possible with a grant from the Orange County Community Foundation.
Click here to read the full list of winners.
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