The Léonie Sonning Music Prize, or Sonning Award, which is recognized as

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's highest musical honor, is given annually to an international composer or

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who w ...

. It was first awarded in 1959 to composer

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...

. Laureates are now selected by the directors of The Léonie Sonning Music Foundation, which was founded in 1965. The

diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...

is in Danish, and the prize includes EUR 133,000 ( US$ 146,400) and a monotype by the Danish painter

Maja Lisa Engelhardt Maja Lisa Engelhardt (born 1956) is a Danish painter whose works are inspired by the landscapes of north-western Zealand where she was brought up. She now lives in Paris with her husband Peter Brandes who is also a painter. She has decorated seve ...

. Honorees are treated to a concert, typically held in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, and are often invited to teach a master class of Danish musicians. The award is not directly related to the Sonning Prize, which is the Danish award presented by a foundation in memory of Sonning's late husband, .

Laureates

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leonie Sonning Music Prize International music awards Danish music awards Awards established in 1959 1959 establishments in Denmark