Gaudeamus Prize nominations for young Norwegian composers

Two young Norwegian composers, Eivind Buene and Lars Petter Hagen, are among the selected finalists competing for the prestigious Gaudeamus Prize.

22.03.2004 | By: Tomas Lauvland Pettersen

The young, vibrant and active composers, Eivind Buene and Lars Petter Hagen are among the finalists battling for the coveted Gaudeamus Prize. While the majority of the finalists have had one work included in the final round, Buene is represented with two of his works. In other words, three of seventeen entries are Norwegian.

The International Gaudeamus Music Week jury which is made up of Takayuki Rai (Japan), Karin Rehnqvist (Sweden) and Klas Torstensson (the Netherlands/Sweden) has selected 17 compositions that are to compete for the coveted Gaudeamus Prize. The prize will be presented to the winner during the International Gaudeamus Music Week 2004 that runs from September 6 to 12 in Amsterdam, NL. The winning composer is awarded a prize amounting to € 4500 in the form of a commission for a small ensemble.

Eivind Buene’s featured repertoire are the works “Anatomic Notebook” (2001-2003) and “Langsam und schmachtend” (2003), while Lars Petter Hagen is represented by his work “Passage – Silence and Light Triptych” (2002).

The yearly International Gaudeamus Music Week focuses on music by young composers. In 1947 the Gaudeamus Music Week was initially devoted to Dutch composers, but soon thereafter the Music Week was opened to composers worldwide. Each year new works by composers are presented, with emphasis on composers younger than 35 years. In 1988 the maximum age was lowered to 30 years. Until 1977 the Music Week included a composers’ competition, with scores selected by a jury of internationally reputed composers. Between 1977 until 1983 this composers’ competition was cancelled, and entries were only possible in annually changing categories for soloists and ensembles. Then in 1984 the composers’ competition was reinstituted, with the prizes now limited to a single Gaudeamus Prize.

The winner of the 2003 Gaudeamus Prize was Russian composer Dmitri Kourliandski (b. 1976).

More info can be found at the Gaudeamus web-site.

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