Under the artistic vision of Music Director Robert Spano, the Brooklyn Philharmonic has emerged as one of the nation's premier music ensembles and continues to be a vital presence in the cultural life of the New York metropolitan area. For over four decades, the Brooklyn Philharmonic has played a leading role in the presentation of innovative and thematic programming, receiving 19 ASCAP Awards for "Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music." Since its inception in 1955, audiences have embraced the Brooklyn Philharmonic's commitment to the concept of the orchestra as a contemporary performance ensemble, emphasizing, as in the decades of Beethoven and Brahms, important present-day music.