The Michigan Philharmonic, the 81-year-old orchestra based in Plymouth, won first place in the 2025 American Prize in Orchestral Performance.

The national award, announced in November 2025, recognizes the best orchestral performances in America based on submitted recordings, according to The American Prize, a nonprofit competition based in Danbury, Connecticut. The Michigan Philharmonic competed in the professional division, where all musicians are paid.

"It's very competitive, and it's a national award," Music Director and Conductor Nan Washburn told the Canton Public Library's "Know Your Org" series. "It's really nice to be recognized for musical excellence."

Washburn is in her 28th season leading the orchestra. She has personally won 19 ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming from the League of American Orchestras across her career, spanning multiple orchestras she's led. The Michigan Philharmonic itself has separately earned six ASCAP Awards, making it one of only 26 orchestras recognized nationally with the honor, according to the organization's website.

The orchestra traces its origins to the spring of 1945, when Plymouth residents Carl and Evelyn Groschke invited friends to their home to play instrumental music. Paul Wagner, director of the Plymouth High School music program, joined forces with the Groschkes to form the Plymouth Symphony Orchestra, which gave its first public performance on April 20, 1947. The group rebranded as the Michigan Philharmonic in 2011 to reflect its regional reach.

The group has roughly 70 musicians. It adjusts its lineup to fit each venue, scaling from a full orchestra to a small chamber ensemble. For the 2026 season, Washburn said the orchestra is focusing on Plymouth First United Methodist Church and the Hawk Theater in Farmington Hills. Concerts also take place at St. John's Chapel in Plymouth, Kensington Metro Park and the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Season 81 opens Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. with "America 250! Rhapsody in Red, White and Blue," according to the orchestra's homepage.

Beyond the concert hall, the Michigan Philharmonic runs a CLASSical Music Outreach Program that sends a quintet of professional musicians into classrooms to introduce third- and fourth-graders to orchestral instruments. The program reaches more than 5,000 students in western Wayne County schools each year. A separate Koncert for Kids each May features about 25 players in a 45-minute program. Schools can opt in to have fourth-graders play along on recorders during the orchestra's rendition of "Ode to Joy."

Washburn founded the Michigan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in 2003. More than 75 students ages 8 through high school audition each year for one of four ensembles: a wind ensemble, two string ensembles and a full youth symphony. The young musicians perform their own concerts and sit side-by-side with professionals during Michigan Philharmonic performances.