The Nordic Council Music Prize is awarded annually by NOMUS, the Nordic Music Committee. Every two years it is awarded for a work by a living composer. In the intervening years it is awarded to a performing musician or ensemble.
The Nordic Council has four art committees:
The Nordic Literature and Library Committee (NORDBOK)The Nordic Music Committee (NOMUS)The Nordic Centre for the Performing Arts (NordScen)The Nordic Institute for Contemporary Art (NIFCA)NOMUS consists of two delegates from each of the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland) and observers from the three areas with self-rule (Greenland, the Faroe Islands and the Åland Islands ). NOMUS awards grants to promote musical co-operation in the Nordic Region; subsidizes commissioned works, musical performances, seminars, conferences and educational courses; and acts as the secretariat and jury of the Nordic Council Music Prize.
This prize was launched in 1965 and was originally awarded once every three years. Since 1990, however, the prize has been awarded every year. In alternate years it is awarded to a piece of music by a living Nordic composer and to a small or large musical ensemble of high artistic and technical standards. It is currently worth 350,000 Danish kroner.
The winners of the Nordic Council Music Prize to date have been:
1965 Aniara (opera) by Karl-Birger Blomdahl, Sweden1968 Tredje symfonien (Third symphony) by Joonas Kokkonen, Finland1970 Drömmen om Thérèse (arenaopera) by Lars Johan Werle, Sweden1972 Eco (soprano solo, mixed choir, orchestra) by Arne Nordheim, Norway1974 Gilgamesh (opera) by Per Nørgård, Denmark1976 Konsert för flöjt och orkester by Atli Heimir Sveinsson, Iceland1978 Ryttaren (opera) by Aulis Sallinen, Finland1980 Symfoni/Antifoni by Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Denmark1982 Utopia by Åke Hermanson, Sweden1984 De ur alla minnen fallna (Requiem) by Sven-David Sandström, Sweden1986 Poemi for solo violin and string orchestra by Hafliði Hallgrímsson, Iceland1988 Kraft (symphonic orchestra, electronics) by Magnus Lindberg, Finland1990 Gjennom Prisme (cello, organ, orchestra) by Olav Anton Thommessen, Norway1991 Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Denmark Jazz bass player, artist prize1992 Symfoni nr 1 by Anders Eliasson, Sweden1993 Mellersta Österbottens Kammarorkester, Finland, artist prize1994 Det Sjungande Trädet (opera) by Erik Bergman, Finland1995 Eric Ericson, Sweden, choir conductor, artist prize1996 Sterbende Gärten concerto for violin and orchestra by Bent Sørensen, Denmark1997 Björk (Guðmundsdóttir), Iceland, singer, artist prize1998: Concert for clarinet and orchestra by Rolf Wallin, Norway1999 Leif Segerstam, Finland, conductor, artist prize2000 Lonh for soprano and electronics by Kaija Saariaho, Finland2001 Palle Mikkelborg, trumpet player, Denmark2002 Symphony no. 1 - Oceanic Days by Sunleif Rasmussen, Faroe Islands2003 Mari Boine, singer, Norway2004 Gudrun's 4th song by Haukur Tómasson, Iceland2005 Ensemble Cikada, Norway2006 ...fetters... by Natasha Barrett, Norway2007 The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir from Stockholm2008 Miki Alone by Peter Bruun, Denmark2009 Kari Kriikku, clarinettist, Finland2010 Opus 42 by Lasse Thoresen, Norway2011 Mats Gustafsson, saxophonist, Sweden2012 Dreymi by Anna Thorvaldsdóttir, Iceland.2013 Pekka Kuusisto, violinist, Finland2014 Simon Steen-Andersen, composer, Denmark2015 Svante Henryson, cellist, Sweden2016 Let Me Tell You, Hans Abrahamsen, Denmark
