Chrysanthemum Award Presented to Nancy Moss

Sedalia resident, Nancy Moss, was presented with the Chrysanthemum Award at the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival May 30, 2019.    Moss told the crowd during the presentation at a concert intermission “I’m truly honored”.  She also thanked her family for “putting up with me in my Scott Joplin mode for more than 23 years”.
     John Simmons, President of the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation, noted the first-ever Chrysanthemum Award is a “pinnacle” award that won’t be given annually.  Instead, it will be presented periodically to those who are found to be a ‘curator of ragtime culture’.
      Nancy has attended every Festival since its inception in 1974.  She has also served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors for 22 years and given monetary contributions for 28 years.  She also began the Festival’s Hospitality Room 20 years ago to provide refreshments and food to ragtime performers between performances.
    Simmons noted, “she’s got that institutional knowledge and you can count on Nancy not to let something slip by…I can’t say enough about her focus, her passion and sense of duty”.
 Information sourced from Faith Bemiss’ article in the Sedalia Democrat

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