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INTERNATIONAL COMPOSITION PRIZE LUIGI NONO
8th edition
First absolute premiere concert, Novembre 19th 2022
Downings, by Eden Lonsdale, written expressly for Duo Althea, winner of the “Novecento” Prize 2019, awarded to the best execution of a piece composed after 1950 in the Luigi Nono Chamber Music International Competition 2021.
Amici per la Musica are honored to announce that the Winner of the International Composition Award Luigi Nono is
EDEN LONSDALE
Honorable mentions were awarded to Jee SEO and Gaetano NENNA
Our best congratulations to the winner, along with those to the mentioned and to all the competitors.
Our heartfelt thanks to the Lady members of the Jury for their thorough and passionate work.
We are waiting to know EDEN LONSDALE and to listen to the song that will compose next year for those who will receive the Novecento Prize in the 24th Luigi Nono Chamber Musica Internatinal Competition.
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The winner of the Novecento Prize, for the best performance of a piece of contemporary music at 24th International Chamber Music Competition Luiig Nono is Duo Althea (Paolo Pellegrini piano and Nicola Possenti, clarinet).
Eden Lonsdale is going to compose a new piece especially for them. The new composition will be premiered in a concert within the 2022 Concert season organized by Amici per la Musica Association.
Motivation of the Jury for Eden Lonsdale
All three judges were impressed by the consistency of the composer’s language across pieces and the strong commitment to particular sound worlds in each piece. It takes maturity to sit with an idea or texture for such long stretches of time, exploring all of its nuance and avoiding the anxious temptation to jump to the next idea. The pieces exhibit a strong personality in the harmonic language, and a commitment to working most effectively with such heterogeneous ensembles as choir and string ensemble. The judges were particularly drawn to “Staring Through Empty Windows” for its meditative, uplifting, and yet gritty quality, and its committed exploration of material that appears so simple on the page. After the homogenous texture of the first six minutes, the strings seem to pass through a prism, the refracted light of harmonics shimmering through the space. In “Madrigal for the End of the Anthropocene” the voices are seamlessly intertwined and float along in a heavenly manner, developing so naturally, like the blossoming of a flower. We would love to hear a whole concert of this composer’s music and be surrounded by these sonic textures.
Motivazione della Giuria per Eden Lonsdale
La giuria all'unanimità è stata impressionata dalla consistenza linguistica del compositore nei brani e il forte impegno a particolari mondi sonori in ogni pezzo. Ci vuole maturità per portare avanti un'idea o un tessuto per tutto il tempo del brano, esplorando ogni nuances ed evitando ansiose tentazioni di saltare all'idea successiva. I brani mostrano una forte personalità nel linguaggio armonico ed un impegno a lavorare in modo efficace con degli ensembles eterogenei quali il coro e ensamble d'archi. I giudici sono stati particolarmente conquistati da "Staring through Empty Windows" per la sua qualità meditativa ed edificante ma al tempo stesso grintosa, e per la sua impegnata esplorazione di materiale che sembrerebbe così semplice sulla carta. Dopo il tessuto omogeneo dei primi 6 minuti, gli archi sembrano passare attraverso un prisma, rifrangendo la luce di armonie scintillanti nello spazio. In "Madrigal for the End of the Anthropocene" le voci sono intrecciate senza soluzione di continuità e fluttuano in modo celestiale, sviluppandosi naturalmente come lo sbocciare di un fiore. Ci piacerebbe poter ascoltare un intero concerto di musiche di questo compositore per essere circondate da questi tessuti sonori.
Jee SEO (Korea-Poland)
The judges were drawn to the beauty, elegance and sense of playfulness found throughout the two works submitted by this composer. There is a clear reaching for a consistent and deliberate voice, an economy of thematic material, and a desire to reject complexity for its own sake. In an environment that prizes technical virtuosity and showmanship, such restraint takes courage for an early career composer. Though some of the ideas did not fully land for the judges, certain movements were simply breath-taking. The composer demonstrates a good ear and musicality, and a confident execution of shorter miniature structures. We look forward to hearing how this artist’s voice develops further.
I giudici sono stati conquistati dalla bellezza, dall'eleganza e dal senso di giocosità che sono stati riscontrati nei due lavori presentati da questo compositore. C'é un chiaro tendere ad una voce precisa e consistente, un'economia nel materiale tematico e un desiderio di rifiutare la complessità pura e semplice. In un contesto che premia i virtuosismi tecnici e la capacità di intrattenere il pubblico, questa limitazione richiede coraggio, per un compositore all'inizio della sua carriera. Sebbene alcune idee non siano state convincenti per i giudici, alcuni movimenti semplicemente toglievano il fiato. Il compositore dimostra buon orecchio e musicalità e una fiduciosa esecuzione in strutture più brevi. Attendiamo con piacere di vedere come la voce di questo artista si svilupperà in futuro.
The judges admired this composer’s commitment to a quite and understated soundscape. It is evident that this composer has a clear idea of the world they want to explore and is dedicated to it fully. The subdued dynamic range invites very close listening. There is a careful attention to colour and texture throughout the two pieces, and a uniqueness to their timbral worlds. The harmonies are stunning throughout, their colour almost visible, like a painting or a landscape. The composer resists the urge to hop from palette to palette, however, instead lingering on often unexpected combinations and registers to allow us to hear the subtlety of each hue. The works demonstrate a strong marrying of poetry, music and art in this composer, creating a unique sound world.
I giudici hanno ammirato l'impegno di questo compositore per un paesaggio sonoro tranquillo e sobrio. È evidente che questo compositore ha una chiara idea del mondo che vuole esplorare e ci si dedica completamente. La sobria gamma dinamica invita ad un ascolto molto attento. C'è una precisa attenzione al colore ed al tessuto in entrambi i pezzi, ed un'unicità nei loro mondi timbrici. Le armonie sono sempre stupefacenti, il loro colore quasi visibile, come un dipinto o un paesaggio. Tuttavia il compositore resiste all'urgenza di saltare da una tavolozza all'altra, indugiando invece in combinazioni spesso inaspettate per permetterci di sentire la sottigliezza di ogni sfumatura.
I lavori di questo compositore dimostrano un forte connubio tra poesia, musica e arte, che crea un mondo sonoro unico.
The panel of judges 2021
Alissa Firsova (Eng/Rus) alissafirsova.com
Anna Pidgorna (Ukr/Can) annapidgorna.com
Liliya Ugay (Uz/Usa) liliyaugay.com
Competitors 2021 in figures
106 competitors properly enrolled, the highest number ever.
From all five continents – either by country of birth or residence – representing altogether 37 countries.
79.8% of competitors are from foreign countries and 20.2% from Italy.
Most represented countries, besides Italy, are USA, South Korea, China, Japan. Canada, UK, Brazil,
Female composers are a little more than 16% of the enrolled. Not much, but better than in the past, and we are happy about this. We are looking forward to many other women competitors in the future.
Eight years of competitors in figures
Since 2014, 360 composers from 46 counties participated to the Prize.
Most represented counties, beside Italy, are US, China Japan, UK, Spain, Germany.
All five continents are represented.
The seven winners of the past editions were from Europe, North America, South America.
Composers 2021 by Country of Birth, beside Italy (21)
19.. USA
8... South Korea
6... China
6... Japan
5... Canada
5... United Kingdom
4... Brazil
3... Russia
3... Spain
2... Austria
2... Czech Republic
2... France
2... Hungary
2... Serbia
1... Albania
1... Armenia
1... Belgium
1... Bulgaria
1... Denmark
1... Germany
1... Greece
1... India
1... Mexico
1... New Zealand
1... Poland
1... Portugal
1... Switzerland
1... Taiwan
1... Turkey
1... United Arab Emirates
The first edition of the Prize dates back 2014 and, by now, it is widely known all over the world.
Young composers, up to 40 years old, can participate.
In addition to the prize, the winner will be asked for the composition of a piece expressly written for the winner of the “Novecento” (20th Century) Prize - either soloist or group -, awarded to the best performance of a piece composed after 1950, in the same year edition of the International Chamber Music Competition Luigi Nono.
The commissioned piece will be premiered by the winner/s of “Novecento” Prize in a concert within the following Concert season organized by Amici per la Musica Association.