The honorary grants are awarded by the Danish Arts Foundation to celebrate Danish artists who create art of outstanding quality.
The Danish Arts Foundation has awarded the grant to Simon Steen-Andersen based on the following motivation:
"Simon Steen-Andersen is internationally recognised as one of the most innovative composers of his generation. His music has received numerous prestigious international awards, including the Siemens Förderpreis, the Nordic Council Music Prize and the Kunstpreis Berlin. Across Europe, many young composers and students look to him as a role model and source of inspiration.
Steen-Andersen has developed a highly distinctive voice in contemporary classical music, combining exceptional craftsmanship with a radical rethinking of what music is and what it can be. His works often draw on the established musical canon, placing it in new contexts and expanding it through visual elements such as video and performance, creating a form of “meta-music”.
Alongside his conceptual and meta-musical thinking, Simon Steen-Andersen consistently achieves what may be considered the ultimate goal for a composer: creating a compelling and innovative sonic world and music that truly draws the listener in."