Martin Stauning with presenter Oliver Zahle. Photo: Michael Søndergaard
“This piece is so enigmatic, so intensely dark and so full of hints.”
These were some of the words used by the Danish Music Publishers’ Association as Martin Stauning, on Monday, was presented with the Carl Prize 2017 for best classical composition for a small ensemble.
The DMPA continues: “The atmospheric piece relates to works by great composers in recent Danish music history such as Per Nørgård, Bent Sørensen and Hans Abrahamsen – composers who, like Stauning, manage to transport the listener to other worlds with only the slightest hints of a chord. It’s not accomplished by invoking excessive sentimentality, but rather by demonstrating superior technique and a clear sense of formal structure.”
The winning composition, Îles en Mer d’Argent, was premiered by the Danish Chamber Players last August. It was also part of the programme at Stauning’s debut concert in October, which prompted the classical reviewer at Danish newspaper Politiken to describe Stauning as “one of the most interesting young composers at the moment”.
“Wow,” Martin Stauning says about receiving the Carl Prize – named after Carl Nielsen. “What an honour and privilege to be here with people who use every day to transform their dreams into music. I am very grateful for the prize, and I’ll continue to write music every day because dreams are the best things we humans can share with each other.”
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