Claudio Abbado established the award in 1989. Under the aegis of Lothar Knessl, the prize has gained great importance over the years and stands for the breadth of the aesthetic and compositional spectrum of New Music.
The laureates should express innovative strength and a creative spirit in their work, which has an equal impact on the present and the future. Beyond dogmatic currents, the focus should always be on the pleasure of composing and listening.
The Erste Bank Composition Award is associated with at least three performances of the prize-winning work by Klangforum Wien. The world premiere usually takes place as part of the Wien Modern Festival. In addition, the Erste Bank Composition Award supports a publication of the new work and a portrait on a contemporary recording medium.
Since 2016, the award winners have been selected by a three-member jury. It currently consists of: Gerd Kühr (composer), Christian Scheib (ORF, musikprotokoll) and Peter Paul Kainrath (artistic director Klangforum Wien).
Photo: Armin Bardel
