Award for Young Composers
Jonathan Nott und Kenji Sakai, 2011
In cooperation with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne organizes the competition every second or third year. This prize is awarded to the winner of a competition for young composers up to the age of 35 years. Participation follows the invitation or nomination by an expert jury consisting of representatives from both of the organizing bodies, a composer, a New Music musician, the principal conductor of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, and a representative of the music publishing industry. On the basis of a preliminary draft for a symphonic orchestral work of a maximum of 15 minutes as well as other documents to be submitted upon request, the jury commissions the winner of the competition with the execution of the proposed composition project. Upon completion, the composition will be premiered by the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, included in its repertoire, and 10,000 Swiss Francs will be awarded to the composer.
So far, the prize has been awarded three times: to Kenji Sakai from Japan for “Nebulous Nix” in 2010, to Francesca Verunelli from Italy for “graduale, disambiguation” in 2011, to Jan Esra Kuhl from Germany for “and again” 2015.