Press Release

Novelist Mark Helprin to Keynote
NMPA Annual Meeting in New York
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2009

WASHINGTON—Mark Helprin, American novelist and journalist, will keynote the 2009 Annual Meeting of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) June 17th in New York City.

“The NMPA welcomes Mark Helprin as the keynote speaker of this year’s annual meeting,” said NMPA President and CEO David Israelite. “In his latest book, Digital Barbarism, Mark tackles the topic of private property rights in the digital age from a copyright owner’s perspective. His view of the challenge copyright owners of all stripes share is sure to provide relevant and thought-provoking insights to our audience of songwriters and music publishers.”

Helprin is a Senior Fellow of the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy, Fellow of the American Academy in Rome, and Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He also served as Adviser on Defense and Foreign Relations to presidential candidate Robert Dole, and is a veteran of the Israeli army, the Israeli Air Force, and the British Merchant Navy. Some of his books include: Ellis Island & Other Stories, Winter's Tale, A Soldier of the Great War, Memoir From Antproof Case, The Pacific, and Freddy & Fredericka.

Other program highlights at this year’s annual gathering of songwriters and music publishers include presentation of the NMPA’s 2009 Songwriter Icon Award to Kara DioGuardi, the Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter and newest judge on “American Idol”, and presentations of the NMPA’s Silver and Gold Note awards to a number of chart-topping songwriters.

Also announced in conjunction with the annual meeting is presentation of the NMPA President’s Award to The Hon. John Conyers, Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The NMPA Annual Meeting is set for June 17 from 4-6 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, 1535 Broadway, followed by a cocktail reception. Members of the media are invited to both the meeting and reception.  

REGISTRATION:
Media: Gayle Osterberg at gayle@133publicaffairs.com or (202) 548-0133
Others: Jamie Marotta at jmarotta@nmpa.org.

About the NMPA
Founded in 1917, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) is a trade association representing American music publishers. The NMPA’s mandate is to protect and advance the interests of music publishers and their songwriter partners in matters relating to the domestic and global protection of music copyrights.