Robertson began his tenure in St. Louis last fall; he is also principal guest conductor of the BBC Symphony. He has previously served as music director of the Orchestre National de Lyon and Paris's Ensemble Intercontemporain.

The Ditson's Conductor's Award was established in 1945 with a bequest from Alice M. Ditson, the widow of music publisher Oliver Ditson; according to Columbia, it is the oldest award recognizing conductors' contributions to American music. Previous winners include Leonard Bernstein, Eugene Ormandy, JoAnn Falletta, Michael Tilson Thomas, and James DePreist.