Chinese-German composer Yixie Shen is the winner of the Gaudeamus Award 2024. The young composer received the prestigious incentive prize for young music pioneers on Sunday 8 September during the closing evening of Gaudeamus Festival 2024 in TivoliVredenburg Pandora in Utrecht.
The jury – consisting of composers Maya Verlaak, Zaid Jabri and Joanna Bailie – said about Shen: “Yixie creates subtle sound worlds and is not afraid to take risks in structure and instrumentation. She has a beautiful sense of timbre and colour. The way she weaves a narrative is refined and gripping. Her music stays with you.”
This year, five composers were nominated for the Award: Cem Güven, Lucy McKnight, Patrick Ellis, Beniamino Fiorini and Shen. The five were selected from a total of 251 entries from all over the world. Several of the pieces submitted by the nominees were performed at the festival, and they all wrote a new piece for the festival, for ensembles Trio Catch, Ensemble Klang and Riot Ensemble.
The Award consists of a commission to write a new work for a future edition of the festival. The physical form of the Award was designed by visual artist Nuni Weisz, an instrument/sculpture called the Inner Voice Amplifier, which allows you to hear your own voice as it sounds when it leaves your body.
For composers, winning the Gaudeamus Award means international recognition of their work and for many it is a springboard in their careers. See the complete list of Award winners since 1957.