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Burgstaller: First international composition prize awarded by the Salzburg Regional Government in 2006
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The Italian composer Salvatore Sciarrino is the first prize-winner of the newly created Salzburg Music Prize, an international composition prize awarded by Land Salzburg. The support prize will be awarded to Francesco Filidei, who is also from Italy. The music prize is worth 100,000 euro, thus one of the most lucrative prizes of its kind worldwide. The winner of the main prize receives € 80,000; € 20,000 are awarded to the winner of the support prize. The Salzburg Music Prize will be awarded for the first time in 2006; subsequently it will be awarded every three years. The award ceremony and the concert of works by prize-winners will take place on Sunday, 5 February 2006 as part of the Aspekte, Salzburg’s festival of new music, in the Great Hall (Aula) of the university. This was announced during a press conference today, Thursday, 18 August, by Salzburg’s governor Gabi Burgstaller.
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She went on to say that the Salzburg regional government had written the “creation of a major international composition prize” into its working policy agreement, and by awarding this prize has now made a clear political statement in the sphere of the arts. This is done very consciously with regard to Mozart Year 2006 when cultural life in Salzburg will be dominated by the genius loci. “Even though great efforts are made to foster the musical heritage, contemporary art must not be neglected. Therefore this prize is intended as a sign of the appreciation of creative achievements nowadays. Furthermore it is a political acknowledgement of the role of the arts for the future and is intended to consolidate Salzburg’s position as a centre of music in general and in particular of contemporary art”, stressed Burgstaller.
Although the Salzburg Music Prize is primarily a distinction for an artistic personality and their outstanding achievements, the fact that it is an international prize aims to underline a further concern: it should provide an impetus for the public, especially for organisers and audiences to award new music and its performers the status due to it in our society.
The award ceremony and the concert of works by prize-winners took place on Sunday, 5th Februray 2006, as part of the "ASPEKTE", Salzburg´s festival of new music, in the Great Hall (Aula) of the university.
Further Information:
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