Léonie Sonning Music Prize
The Léonie Sonning Music Prize (Danish: Léonie Sonnings musikpris) is an international music prize that was donated in 1965 by the Danish Léonie Sonning Music Foundation (Léonie Sonnings musikfond). The award for a life's work to date is given annually to internationally known composers, musicians, conductors or singers who are supposed to be among the best in their field. A reference to Denmark is desirable, but not a requirement. The music prize is endowed with 600,000 crowns (approx. 80,000 euros).
background
Léonie Sonning (1894–1970), widow of the Danish author Carl Johan Sonning, handed over three properties to the foundation in 1965, from the proceeds of which the endowment and the scholarships are fed. The award ceremony usually takes place in Copenhagen at a concert by the winner. In 1959, before the award was officially established, Igor Stravinsky was awarded a Sonning Music Prize.
The Léonie Sonning Music Foundation also supports the development of young Scandinavian musicians through scholarships.
The Léonie Sonning Music Prize should not be confused with the Sonning Prize of the Sonning Foundation Carl Johan Sonnings (1879–1937), which honors and supports culturally significant personalities or cultural non-profit projects.
Award winners
- 1959 Igor Stravinsky
- 1965 Leonard Bernstein
- 1966 Birgit Nilsson
- 1967 Witold Lutosławski
- 1968 Benjamin Britten
- 1969 Boris Christow
- 1970 Sergiu Celibidache
- 1971 Arthur Rubinstein
- 1972 Yehudi Menuhin
- 1973 Dmitri Shostakovich
- 1974 Andrés Segovia
- 1975 Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
- 1976 Mogens Wöldike
- 1977 Olivier Messiaen
- 1978 Jean-Pierre Rampal
- 1979 Janet Baker
- 1980 Marie-Claire Alain
- 1981 Mstislav Rostropovich
- 1982 Isaac Stern
- 1983 Rafael Kubelík
- 1984 Miles Davis
- 1985 Pierre Boulez
- 1986 Svyatoslav Richter
- 1987 Heinz Holliger
- 1988 Peter Schreier
- 1989 Gidon Kremer
- 1990 György Ligeti
- 1991 Eric Ericson
- 1992 Georg Solti
- 1993 Nikolaus Harnoncourt
- 1994 Krystian Zimerman
- 1995 Yuri Bashmet
- 1996 Per Nørgård
- 1997 András Schiff
- 1998 Hildegard Behrens
- 1999 Sofia Gubaidulina
- 2000 Michala Petri
- 2001 Anne-Sophie Mutter
- 2002 Alfred Brendel
- 2003 György Kurtág
- 2004 Keith Jarrett
- 2005 John Eliot Gardiner
- 2006 Yo-Yo Ma
- 2007 Lars Ulrik Mortensen
- 2008 Arvo Pärt
- 2009 Daniel Barenboim
- 2010 Cecilia Bartoli
- 2011 Kaija Saariaho
- 2012 Jordi Savall
- 2013 Simon Rattle
- 2014 Martin Fröst
- 2015 Thomas Adès
- 2016 Herbert Blomstedt
- 2017 Leonidas Kavakos
- 2018 Mariss Jansons
- 2019 Hans Abrahamsen
- 2020 Barbara Hannigan