German Conductors’ Prize 2021 Announces Winners

Belgian conductor Martijn Dendievel received first place with a cash prize of €15,000

(Photo courtesy: Martijin Dendievel)

Second place went to Aivis Greters from Latvia with €10,000 and the €5,000 third prize was received by Hangyul Chung from South Korea. Chung also received the €2,500 audience prize during the final concert in the Cologne Philharmonic Hall.

The German Conductors’ Prize (DDP) is a biennial international competition for young conductors. Organized by the German Music Council in partnership with the Cologne Philharmonic, Cologne Opera, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and WDR Symphony Orchestra, this year marked its third edition.

The prize winners will receive performance engagements with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, Hof Symphony Orchestra, Munich Symphony Orchestra, Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, Cologne Opera, Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra, Theater und Orchester Heidelberg, WDR Symphony Orchestra, and Württemberg Philharmonic Orchestra Reutlingen.

Chaired by Markus Stenz, the jury comprised Marc Albrecht, Martin Griebl, Ursula Maria Berg, Louwrens Langevoort, Cristian Macelaru, Birgit Meyer, Stefan Fragner, Kristiina Poska, and Lucas Singer. 

First prize winner Dendievel, aged 25, is currently an assistant conductor with the Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen. He also won first prize at the 2019 MDR and Louis Spohr Conducting Competitions. 

Accepted into the Brussels Conservatory at 14, he completed a bachelor’s degree in music theory. From 2014, Martijn studied orchestral conducting at Weimar’s University of Music Franz Liszt with Nicolás Pasquet and Ekhart Wycik. 

“Many thanks go to the jury for their trust and support, and to the musicians of the orchestras as well as to all singers for the 100% energy you gave me and the other contestants in the three rounds and during the final concert,” wrote Dendievel in a Facebook post.

The radio broadcast of the concert can be accessed, here.