The nominees for the new composition award LHV Au-tasu 2021” have been announced. Ten works premiered in 2020 are nominated for the award.
The aim of the LHV award is to value active Estonian composers and highlight a new work that deserves international recognition. The collaboration between the Estonian Composers’ Union and LHV began in 2016.
This year, a record number of works participated in the competition. A total of 52 works from 42 composers were nominated by individuals, collectives and organizations. The jury selected the nominees:
Maria Faust “Maarja missa”
Madli Marje Gildemann “Three Studies”
Doris Hallmägi “You Will Hear Thunder”
Liisa Hirsch “Us … and Them …”
Lauri Jõeleht “Chant Harmonique”
Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes “Juures”
Tõnu Kõrvits “To The Moonlight”
Rasmus Puur “Viiulikontsert”
Timo Steiner/Sander Mölder “Golden Temple”
Arash Yazdani “Hommage à Georg Friedrich Haas”
The jury included Tiia Teder (Chairwoman of the Jury, Editor-in-Chief of Klassikaraadio), Helena Tulve (Estonian Composers’ Union), Kerri Kotta (Chairman of the Estonian Musicological Society), Kristiina Poska (conductor), Iris Oja (mezzo-soprano), and Tarmo Johannes (flutist).
The nominees will be introduced by Klassikaraadio’s program “Nyyd-muusika” on April 6, 13, and 20 at 9 p.m.
According to the chairwoman of the jury, Tiia Teder, 2020 was a very difficult year for composers, as music life practically came to a standstill. “It is great that so many high-level new works were premiered. The compositions included extensive stage music opuses as well as various chamber and electronic pieces. I am glad that the list of nominees became so representative and that it includes young and experienced musicians alongside.”
This year, the current prize fund was increased by 1,000 euros. The laureate will receive a 6,000-euro scholarship and a trophy by glass designer Mare Saar. The winner will be announced on April 30 at the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra & Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir concert as part of the festival Estonian Music Days & Baltic Music Days 2021.
In previous years, the award has been received by composers Liisa Hirsch, Toivo Tulev, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Helena Tulve, and Märt-Matis Lill. The partners of the competition are the Estonian Composers’ Union, the Estonian Music Information Center, Klassikaraadio, and ERR.
Estonian Music Days & Baltic Music Days festival takes place from April 22 to May 2. The concerts will reach the audience via the EMP TV on the festival’s website (balticmusicdays.eu) and Klassikaraadio. The focus of the 2021 festival is “DNA”, which seeks a dialogue between our biological genetics, cultural origins, musical thinking, and science. The artistic directors of the festival are renowned composers Helena Tulve and Timo Steiner. Märt-Matis Lill is the artistic director of the Tartu programme.