Composer Unsuk Chin Wins 2024 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize

Considered as the Nobel Prize of classical music, the international award also comes with a cash prize of €250,000

Presented by the Swiss-based Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize has been awarded annually since the 1970s to a composer, performer, or musicologist, who has made exceptional contributions to the music industry.

As its 2024 recipient, South Korean composer Unsuk Chin will be awarded at a ceremony on May 18, 2024, in Munich’s Herkules Hall, where her works will be performed by Ensemble intercontemporain and conductor Pierre Bleuse. 

Additionally, the Foundation’s 2024 composer prizes of €35,000 each will go to Bára Gísladóttir, Daniele Ghisi, and Yiqing Zhu.

A graduate of Seoul National University and recipient of the Gaudeamus Foundation grant, Unsuk Chin studied composition with the Hungarian composer György Ligeti.

Her music has been performed by orchestras including the Bavarian State Opera, Berlin Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Radio France Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, among others.

Published exclusively by Boosey & Hawkes, Chin has written over 50 pieces for vocals, tape, chamber, quartet, and orchestra, as well as operas and concertos. A full list of her works can be found here.

Among Chin’s accolades include the 2004 Grawemeyer Award, Wihrui Sibelius Prize, Marie-Josée Kravis Prize for New Music, and New York Philharmonic’s New Music Prize. Currently, she serves as the artistic director of the Tongyeong International Music Festival.

“With Unsuk Chin, [we are] honoring an internationally renowned composer,” the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation posted on Facebook. “Her works are characterized by lucid, dreamlike sounds and a humorous lightness. The result is music that is easily accessible to the audience, but at the same time remains complex and challenging. Chin sees herself as an international composer who is familiar with both Asian and Western culture.”

“We give Chin a big round of applause on behalf of the respect we have for the passion and painstaking efforts she has poured out all this time,” wrote South Korea’s Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Yu In-chon in the Korea JoongAng Daily. 

“We are sure that the reputation of Chin will continue to shine brightly as she has built her own unique musical identity,” In-chon added. “This award has once again proved to the world the outstanding talents of Korean classical musicians. We will continue to support Chin and her endeavors to bring comfort and joy to audiences all over the world with her beautiful melodies and harmonies.”

Previous winners of the prize have included Olivier Messiaen, Mstislav Rostropovich, Luciano Berio, György Ligeti, Claudio Abbado, Wolfgang Rihm, Mariss Jansons, Anne-Sophie Mutter, and Tabea Zimmermann.