Dresden / Berlin (MH) – The American composer and conductor John Adams has received this year’s prize at the Dresden Music Festival. The award, endowed with 25,000 euros, was presented to the 74-year-old on Sunday by artistic director Jan Vogler as part of a concert streaming at the Dresden Music Festival in New York City. The New York orchestra The Knights, conducted by Eric Jacobsen, played selected pieces by Adams with Gil Shaham (violin) and Timo Andres (piano) as soloists.
Presentation of the Dresden Music Festival Prize
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“The generous award will help my wife and I continue the work we have been committed to over the years,” said Adams. “These include funding music tuition in American prisons, scholarships for classical music education in communities suffering from economic and ethnic tensions, and commissions and performances of works by young composers.” Due to the pandemic, his first visit to Dresden had to be canceled. “But I am determined to make up for this trip as soon as possible, maybe even to play in Dresden myself and hear my music.”
The Glashütte Original MusikFestspielPreis – the official name – is donated by the Glashütte Original watch manufacturer. The award has already gone to artists such as the pianist Hélène Grimaud, the Berliner Philharmoniker, the violinist Hilary Hahn, the cellist Steven Isserlis, the mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and, last year, the soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigen. The trophy is traditionally made by two students from the manufacture’s own watchmaking school “Alfred Helwig”.
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